GAA social media guidelines on the way

A comprehensive set of guidelines on the use of social media guidelines for GAA players and officials are expected shortly.

Former GAA President Nickey Brennan is Chairman of the GAA's IT Committee which is examining ways to educate its members on using social media such as Facebook and Twitter in a responsible manner. They hope to issue the directives in spring of this year.

Speaking to the Irish Examiner, Brennan explained: "There's a huge growth in the use of Twitter and Facebook and the media are depending on the social media to pick up stories, to pick up news about this, that and the other.

"It's affording people the chance to see and read a lot more of what's going on. Social media has many positives but it equally has as many negatives for the Association.

"The Association is about to produce a whole set of guidelines in this area. It has some guidelines but these are going to be enhanced over the next month or two, which will hopefully guide anybody - whether they be an officer, official or a player - in how to use social media."

Brennan is keen to emphasise that the Association's thoughts on the use of social media is to promote its usage in a responsible fashion among its members.

"The GAA can't control everybody, there's no way. You can't just be watching people every hour of the day. That's not humanly possible," added the Kilkenny man.

"We're hoping that people will take on board the guidelines - a lot of work has been invested into preparing them - and be careful of what they do.

"The reality is if they misbehave in that space it's not the GAA that is going to be dealing with it - it's going to hit the media and be about the embarrassment that it causes.

"The GAA wants to make it clear that 'we'll give you guidelines but we expect you to be responsible in how you use social media'.

"Obviously, a lot of people use social media in a private context and the GAA have no control over that, but if you're an officer or an elected official or if you're a paid employee it comes part and parcel with it that you're responsible in this area.

"There are ways and means of dealing with social media and responsible responding, if I may call it that, to Facebook messages or tweets or whatever may be."