Ethical Guide for Social Media Practices for Art Museums
Background:
Art museums are the guardians of art and culture for humanity. They play an important role in society, not only providing a safe place to preserve priceless works of art, but also to inform and educate the public. Appreciation of art is subjective and while some people are respective of the difference in an artist’s perspective or use of genre, there are those who are opposed to art which they consider to be different or unusual. The expression, art is in the eye of the beholder, is very true. Regardless, it is the responsibility of the museum to provide honest descriptions as to what is exhibited and to allow the public a chance to learn from the experience.
The COVID pandemic shuttered many businesses, and especially impacted were the art museums. Fortunately, most of the world’s museums were able to offer online access to their collections. Many museums around the world began advertising access to their collections via social media. The purpose is for all social media to be directed to inform the public about the art within the facilities and provide honest communication. There have been times when some members of the public have been very vocal and protested the type of art displayed in the museums. This guide is established to provide ethical direction for social media and any potential negative situations.
Social Media Guidelines:
The goals of social media are to build community and develop brand awareness. As we learned in our lecture, pre-planning is essential in the event of any social media crisis, and an “internal alert and response flowchart” should be established to provide a method of response to the public (Hou et al., 2020). I include crisis information within these procedures because ethical guidelines require the Museum to be prepared in the event of any situation, and often crisis situations occur because of social media mishaps, public misunderstanding or Museum miscommunication.
Hilary Morgan-Watt, Digital Engagement Manager at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, defines a social media crisis as a sudden online event, which “has the potential to negatively impact operations, reputation, and relationships with internal and external stakeholders, employees and the community” (Pollard, 2019). Ms. Morgan-Watt created a checklist for Museums to use in times of crisis, which the Museum will utilize.
In addition to being honest in all communication, it is important to avoid certain unethical practices:
• Do not include any spam in comment sections. Not only will this avoid any social media posts bounced back but will also ensure the Museum’s reputation is held in utmost respect.
• Do not include any links on forum threads, as this may create a negative perception of the Museum’s social media communication.
• Do not hack into other websites to plant self-serving links, as this is dishonest and unethical behavior.
• Do not pay for links and resell them to marketers, as all donor and member records must be kept confidential.
• No misleading advertising is permitted, as it would damage the Museum’s reputation and public trust.
• Never contact people without their consent and if requested, place them on the “Do Not Call” Registry. Honor all “do not contact” requests and comply with the law.
• No social media materials or posts should incite any controversy, as the Museum must avoid any conflict. This includes any comments posted by the public on the Museum’s social media sites. Any responses to posts must be made by the Marketing Department.
· No emotional exploitation of any kind, as it would damage the Museum’s reputation and public trust.
As Karina Tama-Rutigliano said in her article on How to Draw the Line in Unethical Marketing, “It’s time for us to rise to the occasion and quit pretending unethical practices are acceptable” (Tama-Rutigliano, 2019). In addition, as the guardians of works of art, the following guidelines are essential:
· Safeguarding the Art and Artists: Be sure to not reprint or allow any photography of the exhibition art in social media, without the express permission of the artist and/or owner.
· Conflicts of Interest: Be sure to never publish any social media which might appear to conflict with the Museum’s mission.
· Professional Behavior: Always act and behave with the utmost professional behavior. That includes all members of the staff on their personal time. In addition, no employee should post social media about the Museum. All social media must be distributed from Marketing and must be approved by the leadership of the Museum.
· Informing the Public: Any information to the public must be honest and direct, and in a crisis, immediate and responsive to any concerns. All public social media posts must be approved by the leadership of the Museum.
· “Content providers should fully disclose paid placement”, to avoid any appearance of a conflict of interest (Smithsonian 2010).
· Any social media posts should provide detailed information about an exhibition or Museum tour, including easy access to register.
· Give special consideration to any art exhibition which may be considered offensive, due to sexual, racial, religious, or social content. Social media advertising must provide details so the public will understand the sensitivity of the exhibit, and a public notice must be presented before entering the gallery. The Leadership of the Museum will have final approval on any advertising.
When in doubt, please refer to the procedures above and communicate with the Museum leadership, which will make the ultimate decision in any ethical situations.
References:
Hou, Z., Hrach, A., Griffiths, A. H. and J., & Griffiths, J. (2020, September 28). Don’t be scared, be prepared: How to manage a social media crisis. Content Marketing Consulting and Social Media Strategy. https://www.convinceandconvert.com/social-media-strategy/dont-be-scared-be-prepared-how-to-manage-a-social-media-crisis/.
Pollard, A. (2019, December 4). #MuseumCrisis: Social media in MUSEUM crisis Communications Plans. The State of Museum Digital Practice in 2019: A collection of graduate essays and responses. https://ad-hoc-museum-collective.github.io/GWU-museum-digital-practice-2019/essays/essay-3/.
Smithsonian. (2010). Museum on Main Street. Washington DC.
Tama-Rutigliano, K. (2019, June 24). Council post: How to draw the line on unethical marketing. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescommunicationscouncil/2019/06/24/how-to-draw-the-line-on-unethical-marketing/?sh=73a5f44d5736.
