12 August 2024We’ve recently added standby statement templates to our advice library to assist members in addressing online abuse when interacting with the media, colleagues, or community members.
We understand that receiving defamatory emails or social media posts can be extremely distressing and challenging. Our new advice emphasises the importance of not responding immediately. Instead, we recommend staying calm and taking time to process the information before taking action. The advice note outlines specific steps members should take, and the templates cover the following scenarios:
- Responding to issues outside your council’s jurisdiction, raised via email
- Responding to issues outside your council’s jurisdiction, raised on social media
- Responding when something IS your fault
- Responding when the content is abusive
- Responding when the content is defamatory
