ABSTRACT
This chapter opens with an overview of the affordances of various social media platforms, followed by an analysis of the purpose of social media policies and a discussion of social media policy controversies. Social media policies are designed to establish organizational communication priorities and principles, and to regulate the online communication practices of organizational members. The chapter also examines a range of social media policies from media organizations and public relations firms in order to identify the communication philosophies that drive the governance of social media and the potential vulnerabilities organizations seek to mitigate. The BBC discusses three social media activities that it is concerned with personal use, core news, and editorial and journalistic roles. It is equally possible to argue that social media policies are an important governance mechanism that provides safeguards for those engaged in social media. Appropriate engagement within social media is dependent on an understanding of the rules, affordances and cultures of social media networks.
