British Club announces Social Media Policy

On Friday, March 24, the British Harness Racing Club (BHRC) posted their official policy concerning Social Media Conduct for their participants.

The new guidelines were developed by the BHRC to protect the interest of the code of harness racing, its licensed person, its employees and officials of the BHRC.

Any person found guilty of a breach of the new policy will be subject to a suspension and/or fine and/or warning off.

The policy mirrors what was done by Harness Racing Victoria in Australia one year ago.

The new policy is listed below.

BRITISH HARNESS RACING CLUB SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY FOR PARTICIPANTS

Function Communication via online social media such as facebook, twitter, blogs and forums etc. is an ever-increasing way for society to communicate by creating and sharing content of a common interest.

This policy provides some guidelines and expectations when using social media either as part of their job, or for personal use where reference is made to the British Harness Racing Club, the harness racing industry, its participants and any other harness racing related individuals, clubs or organisations.

This policy aims to protect the interest of the code of Harness Racing, licensed persons, its employees and officials of the British Harness Racing Club.

This policy is not designed to discourage people from accessing social media but rather to ensure that they are clear of their respective rights and responsibilities.

This policy does not apply where licensed participants engage in the personal use of social media where no reference to the British Harness Racing Club or anything related to the harness racing industry is made.

Range

This policy applies to all participants in the UK Harness Racing industry, including all licensed Owners, Trainers, Trainers Assistants, Drivers and Officials.

What is Social Media?

Social Media avenues include, but are not limited, to:

· Social network websites such as Facebook, Bebo, Friendster

· Photo and Video sharing websites such as Flickr, YouTube, Snapchat

· Blogging applications such as Twitter

· Discussion boards, blogs and chat forums

· Online newspapers allowing for comments to be made

· Instant or SMS type messaging

· Other websites that allow persons to use publishing tools

Use of Social Media Social Media should not be used for any of the following:

· To publish or make comments that are detrimental to the harness racing industry and any of its members,

· To direct abuse or inappropriate comments about other individuals or organisations that participate in the harness racing industry,

· To breach any of the British Harness Racing Club Rules,

· To assume or use the identity of another licensed person or official

· To publish any information that is related to the harness racing industry that is confidential in nature or is part of any ongoing inquiry or investigation

· To make any comment or post that is, or could be considered, to be malicious, offensive, abusive, racist, threatening, discriminatory, bullying, defamatory or disrespectful to another person or body in the harness racing industry or BHRC, its employees, officials and participants that comprise of the UK Harness Racing Industry.

Associated Rules

 S40: Any person shall not:

[b] say, publish, write, or cause to be said, published or written, anything malicious, intimidatory or otherwise improper about a Governing Body, its members, employees or its officials or anyone else associated with the harness racing industry.

[c] whether alone or in association with others, say, publish or write, or cause to be said, published or written, anything intended improperly to influence a decision of the BHRC, its members, employees or its officials or anyone else associated with the harness racing industry, on any matter.

[d] whilst acting as administrator to social media pages, allow comments to be published which are malicious, intimidatory or otherwise improper about a Governing Body, its members, employees or its officials or anyone else associated with the harness racing industry. Said administrator shall be deemed to take full responsibility for such comments and investigated for a breach of Section S40. Any person found guilty of a breach of section S40 shall be subject to a suspension and/or fine and/or warning off.

Breach of Policy

Non-compliance of this policy may result in that person being called before the British Harness Racing Club Stewards.

The BHRC reserves the right to require the immediate removal or modification of medial comments that result in a breach of this policy.

By Steve Wolf, for Harnesslink