Mitigating the risks of social media
Queensland Teachers' Journal, Vol 130 No 3, 23 May 2025, page no 5.
As we head into the peak of the QTU’s EB campaign, members can expect to be inundated with comments about the Union and its claim.
We all know the drill: “Teachers and school leaders work 9-3, they have 10 weeks holiday a year, and now they want a pay rise!” This type of comment infuriates members and their loved ones and may prompt them to want to engage on social media.
Last year, at the request of State Council, the QTU decided to enable comments on some social media posts. This was based on research that indicated that social media was increasingly becoming the source of news and information for adults in Australia. It was not because the QTU accepted arguments that the Union’s social media formed part of its democratic structures. Social media is not a forum to debate the decisions of Executive and Council, it is used to promote the Union and its work.
In determining to enable comments, the Union also needed to ensure that those who engaged with our social media were safe. The Union introduced protocols, which align with the Union’s Statement of Safety and Respect, to mitigate any psychosocial and defamation risks, as well as to ensure QTU employees had the right to disconnect.
The Union was also conscious that it needed protocols addressing digital astroturfing. This is the process by which political actors seek to misrepresent certain policy platforms as emerging in an organic way from “the people”. In a research paper published in July this year, “The Role of Online Crisis Actors in Teachers’ Work and Lives”, Keith Heggart, Naomi Barnes et al analysed the strategies used by the Teachers’ Professional Association of Australia (TPAA) to manufacture a crisis associated with teacher vaccinations.
They found sufficient evidence to indicate that astroturfing did occur and was employed by the TPAA in an effort to weaken traditional unions in Australia, producing a form of union “Uberfication”. In analysing the comments on its page prior to turning off comments, the QTU found that the same organisation consistently used the comment section of our Facebook posts to advertise and promote its own agenda. More importantly, our members were being baited into responding to these individuals. The QTU needed to be able to address this risk before turning comments back on.
At their core, the protocols are designed to ensure that the Union’s social media pages are free from harassment, discrimination, misogyny, homophobia, transphobia, racism, trolling, self-promotion, and farming of followers; as well as aligning to Union values. Comments outside of the QTU protocols will not be published or will be removed and people who breach these protocols will be blocked from the page.
The Union has mapped the posts that have previously resulted in comments that posed a potential risk of harm to members and users of our social media. Rather than not making these posts (because silence is also a position), the Union has determined that comments will not be enabled.
To meet the Union’s obligations as an employer, comments will only be allowed during QTU office hours.
The QTU Communications team has developed a guide for commenting on social media and addressing negative comments. These best practices include: following the QTU’s values and being informed; engaging positively in line with Union values; abiding by respectful and solution-focused communication; not taking “the bait” and staying true to the QTU’s mission; engaging with the QTU community respectfully; trusting that the Union has your back (knowing that we will take action if comments are offensive or breach our guidelines); and thinking before you post – you are representing the Union and the profession.
The team also developed the STAND method to support members encountering negative comments online. When responding to negative comments, use this structure:
- Stay united: Speak with a collective voice that reflects the QTU’s values. Focus on solidarity and facts, rather than engaging in conflict.
- Turn to facts: If misinformation is spreading, correct it with evidence from QTU resources. Redirect people to official QTU channels for reliable information.
- Acknowledge and redirect: If a comment raises a legitimate concern, acknowledge it and guide the person to the right place (e.g., branch meetings, QTAD, or member support). Keep discussions constructive and solution-focused, don’t provide unsolicited, personal opinions about an issue or how to navigate an issue.
- Never engage in conflict: Avoid responding emotionally or getting drawn into arguments. If a comment is abusive or off-topic, let QTU moderators handle it.
- Draw the line: If someone repeatedly violates the QTU’s social media guidelines, cease contact immediately. End discussions firmly to prevent ongoing negativity. The QTU Communications team will pick it up.
In adopting these processes, rather than receiving misinformation from other social media pages, QTU members will be well informed with the most accurate and up to date information about the work of the Union.