Field Guide Draft 2 - USCG - Dtd 28 Jan 2011

1

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Section I: Official Facebook page ................................................................................. 2

Section II: DOD Live Wordpress Blog ......................................................................... 11

Section III: Official Twitter Account ............................................................................. 19

Section IV: YouTube Videos ....................................................................................... 23

Section V: Flickr Photos .............................................................................................. 30

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SOCIAL MEDIA FIELD GUIDE

The following guidelines will help set up your social media sites IAW Coast Guard Public

Affairs Manual, COMDTINST M5728.2D.

Section I: Official Facebook page

The approved social networking tool authorized for Coast Guard sectors

and units is a Facebook government page. This chosen site is the ideal tool

for building a network at a unit level among both an internal and external

audience including family members, employees, and the community.

Social networks represent a “one-stop shop” enabling an administrator the

ability to use text, images and video in one place to tell the Coast Guard

story. Other social networking sites are not authorized unless a waiver is

granted by CG-0922 and DHS.

The following guidelines will help you set up your page in a manner

consistent with Coast Guard branding and to meet policy requirements.

All Coast Guard personnel who post on official social media sites must

have either attended the Coast Guard Public Affairs course at the Defense

Information School or have received training from their servicing public

affairs office.

Commands must provide their servicing public affairs office a letter

designating their social media spokesperson and authorizing them to

conduct official unit communications.

Strong passwords shall be implemented to access all official social media

sites. Due to Facebook settings, page administrators are required to use

their personal account to sign-on and manage their page. Therefore, site

managers shall use a strong password for their personal sign-on. A strong

password consists of at least six characters including a combination of

upper and lower case letters, numbers and symbols. (NOTE: While a

personal account is used to sign in to Facebook, comments and wall posts

made by page administrators will have the page name and profile picture

vice their personal name and profile picture.)

Since access to Facebook from a Coast Guard workstation is currently

prohibited, commands must decide if they have the ability to properly

manage a Facebook page IAW chapter 11 of the Public Affairs Manual

before requesting a page. Commands may use unit funds to acquire and

use “stand-alone” computer terminals and Internet connections outside of

the Coast Guard network to obtain greater access to the blocked site

(consult your servicing procurement office for assistance).

Access to

Facebook

Authority

Training

3

Section I: Official Facebook page (cont.)

While administrators cannot access Facebook from a Coast Guard

workstation, they can make status updates and upload pictures from an e-

mail address. However, they must be careful of operational security

(OPSEC), proper authority to release information and the capacity to

adequately monitor the page and follow-on comments.

To set up mobile access, go to “Edit Page” on your page and then

“Mobile.”

To create a new Facebook page, go to http://www.facebook.com/pages/

and select “Create page.”

1. Select “Brand, product, or organization.” In the drop down menu,

choose “Government.”

2. Choose a page name. Your site name shall include “U.S. Coast

Guard” and your unit name or district regional title (same as the

district blog title). Avoid using unclear acronyms or shorthand except

when necessary due to space limitations. The following are examples

for various Coast Guard commands;

a. First District would use “U.S. Coast Guard Northeast.”

b. Sectors should use “U.S. Coast Guard Sector <name>.”

c. Air Stations should use “U.S. Coast Guard AirSta <name>.”

Creating a Facebook page

Access to Facebook (cont.)

http://www.facebook.com/pages/

4


d. Cutters should use “U.S. Coast Guard CGC <name>.”

e. Marine Safety Units should use “U.S. Coast Guard MSU

<name>.”

f. Aids to Navigation Teams should use “U.S. Coast Guard ANT

<name>.”

g. Small boat stations should use “U.S. Coast Guard Station

<name>.”

3. Click that you are the official representative and have permission

to create the Page.

4. Select “Create Official Page.”

All official Coast Guard social media sites must be registered with

Commandant (CG-092). A link to the registration form is located on the

Coast Guard Compass blog under the Official Sites link. Commands shall

update their registration if their designated social media spokesperson

changes.

After your page is created, set up the page IAW the following guidelines.

Facebook page

Wall

Creating a Facebook page (cont.)

5


1. Set up a profile picture. The selected profile picture should be easily

recognizable, appropriate for the command, and include the word

“Official.” The standard size Facebook uses for this graphic is

200x200 pixels but, due to some clipping when the graphic is

uploaded, it is suggested that you leave a 12 pixel border.

2. Your “wall.” Use your wall to share information, pictures and video

and interact with your fans.

3. Upload content. You can upload content using the standard wall

options or the “Notes” option. Short, quick status updates, links,

photos and video can be uploaded from the wall.

Commands who post photos and/or video on their Facebook page shall

follow policy outlined in Chapter 5 of the Coast Guard Public Affairs

Manual, COMDTINST M5728.2D. Specifically, all video or still

photos must be evaluated by a designated person at the local unit, such

as the CO, OINC, XO, PAO or OOD, before being released to check

for SAPP (Security, Accuracy, Propriety, and Policy) and to ensure

Coast Guard members are wearing the proper uniform and safety

equipment.

Additionally, any photo or video that depicts Coast Guard operations

or newsworthy events must also be uploaded to the Coast Guard

Visual Information Gallery (http://cgvi.uscg.mil). Commands shall

work with their servicing public affairs office to ensure those images

are entered into CGVI. Candid personal photography of non-Coast

Guard operations or non-newsworthy events (e.g. morale events,

sports days, community relations, other daily routine imagery) may be

posted but must be in good taste. All imagery posted to Facebook

reflects the U.S. Coast Guard and should reflect pride and

professionalism.

More in-depth, blog style content can be added using the Facebook

“Notes” feature. To add a Note, click on the “Notes” tab (3) and select

“Add a Note.” Add content like you would for a blog (follow tips

provided in Section II, The Wordpress Blog).

Any member or employee who self-publishes online is personally

accountable for everything they post. Personnel bear a responsibility

for ensuring information disclosed (including personal comments) is

accurate and appropriate. Coast Guard members may be held

accountable for violations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice for

content posted online. Posts shall follow AP and Coast Guard

Stylebook guidelines. Site managers shall refer to chapter 11 of the

Public Affairs Manual for legal, security and release of information

considerations.

Facebook page Wall (cont.)

6


4. Links. This is how links appear on your wall.

5. Moderate comments. Click on “View Feedback” to review comments

and moderate as necessary. Facebook does not allow page

administrators to moderate comments before they are posted. If left

unmoderated, comment streams can quickly spiral off topic and in an

inappropriate direction. Therefore, page managers must check the

page frequently to ensure the comments are in compliance with the

official Coast Guard Comment Policy. At a minimum, pages shall be

checked twice daily. Depending on frequency of postings and topic,

commands may need to moderate more frequently. If in doubt as to

whether a comment violates the policy or is otherwise inappropriate,

consult your servicing public affairs office. If it is decided to delete a

comment, commands shall ensure they follow proper records

management procedures as outlined in the “Records Management”

section below.

Commands may consider using their servicing public affairs office or

other trustworthy and properly trained party to help moderate

comments or keep the command informed while the unit is underway

or otherwise unable to keep a close eye on the page. If no other options

are available, commands may select to manage their page’s

permissions (see item 1 in image below) and set their page to be

viewable by administrators only (see item 2 in image below). This

should only be used as a last resort option because it effectively

eliminates the page from public view and may lead to misconceptions

that the page has been disestablished.

6. Edit page settings. Using this option, you can manage permissions,

add administrators, update basic information, set your profile pictures,

view your insights, and more (see image above).


7


Official Coast Guard social media sites shall be publicly accessible to

the full extent available. Site managers should set privacy and account

settings to ensure maximum public availability of the content that is

posted.

To maintain editorial integrity, commands shall manage posting ability

of users. The permissions shall be set to NOT allow users to write or

post content, photos or videos on the wall (see 3 in the above image).

7. Edit Information about your page. This box shall have this basic

statement.

8. View insights. Insights allow page administrators the ability to gather

statistics and information about your users, interactions and views.

The “Info” tab (1) for your page is the location where all legal disclaimers,

comment policy, contact information and so on will be placed. The most

up-to-date and accurate disclaimers and policy statements can be copied

from the Coast Guard Facebook page, www.facebook.com/uscoastguard,

Info tab. The following is an example of the content that should appear on

the page.

Facebook page

Info tab


http://www.facebook.com/uscoastguard

8


Although Facebook does not provide specific boxes for adding this type of

content, it can be added in the General Information, Mission and

Descriptions boxes. Use these boxes to include the following:

Contact information including mailing and e-mail addresses (2)

Links to other official sites (HQ site, homepage, PIER) (3)

Appropriate disclaimers and policies as outlined in Chapter 11.D of

the Public Affairs Manual (4)

Content and comments posted on social media sites in connection with the

transaction of public business may become a federal record and if so it is

required to maintain a copy per the appropriate records retention policies.

Since a records schedule does not exist to identify what must be archived

and for how long, CG-0922 is working with the Department of Homeland

Security and the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)

to determine the records schedule.

The current guidelines for records retention are as follows and are subject

to change pending final approval by NARA:

1. Original Public Affairs Content

a. Original public affairs content posted on social media sites shall be

retained permanently and transferred to NARA when five years

old. Format in accordance to existing NARA transfer guidance as

outlined in the Information and Life Cycle Management Manual,

COMDTINST M5212 (series).

b. Public affairs content that is a copy or reproduction of content

already scheduled and retained can be destroyed when no longer

current or relevant.

2. General Comments. Comments that do not affect or require any

administrative action, policy decision or special compilation shall

remain posted but are considered obsolete in 10 days. Delete after one

year.

3. Deleted Comments. Comments that do not follow Public Affairs

Social Media Policy will be deleted but retained for one year. The

comments can be destroyed after one year if no other action has been

taken regarding the deletion of comment.

The moderator shall take a screen shot (Shift+Print Screen for PC and

Command+Shift+4 for Mac); label the file with the date, title of

Facebook post and the initials of the person who removed the

comment; and store the file on a shared folder for easy retrieval if a

Freedom of Information Act request or other action be necessary.

Records

Management

Facebook page Info tab (cont.)

9


Additionally, good practice is to Facebook message the commenter to

let them know why the comment is being deleted. You can copy/paste

the full comment into the message, professionally address the specific

violation of the comment policy and offer the option to edit the

comment and re-post (see example below). It is important to note that

Facebook will use your personal Facebook page to send the message;

therefore, your personal privacy settings should be restrictive and

profile picture should be in good taste.

4. Information Request Files. Requests for information and copies of

replies, involving no administrative action, no policy decisions and no

special compilations or research and requests for and transmittals of

publications, photographs, and other information literature can be

destroyed when three months old or when no longer needed,

whichever is sooner.

IAW this records schedule, CG-0922 has identified a free online tool,

Backupify (www.backupify.com), to archive content and comments on

official Facebook pages. This tool enables the archival of several social

media sites including both personal Facebook profiles as well as pages.

Coast Guard page managers shall establish a separate, non-personal

Backupify account and maintain the archived data of official page content

and comments.

Records Management (cont.)

http://www.backupify.com/

10


Once the page is created, establish a Facebook vanity URL for ease of

access and to aid in branding the site. To set up a vanity URL, a page

administrator should follow these steps:

1. Go to www.facebook.com/username

2. Select “Set a username for your Pages.”

3. Choose your Page

4. Official USCG sites shall begin with “USCoastGuard”

followed by a short and easily identifiable name, similar to

your page’s name. Districts shall use their regional title. For

example, the 1st District would choose

www.facebook.com/uscoastguardnortheast.

5. Save

Commands shall friend/favorite other official FB pages in their chain

of command and within DHS.

Think about the audience and post things that will interest and engage

them.

Link to locally relevant regional or national SAR cases, news stories,

blog posts, press releases or web sites about unit/mission.

Post current/upcoming events or safety/security zones, interesting

facts, historical moments, safe boating tips, news about CG personnel,

auxiliary safe boating courses in your area, and other items of interest

on the wall.

Make sure to monitor comments and engage when appropriate.

Make sure to carefully consider copyright issues and intellectual

property rights when using other sources of information.

Facebook Tips

http://www.facebook.com/username

http://www.facebook.com/uscoastguardnortheast

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Section II: DOD Live Wordpress Blog

In collaboration with units in their area of responsibility, each area and

district public affairs staff will have the option of owning and managing a

blog on the dodlive.mil domain. Commandant CG-0922 will establish and

administer the blog on behalf of Defense Media Activity. District or area

users will be added as needed to add content and monitor the blog.

The DOD Live blogs are the only authorized blogging tool unless a waiver

is granted by CG-0922 and DHS.





changes.

All designated DODLive.mil blog users must complete an online training

course at http://pwtraining.dma.mil. A certificate of completion shall be

provided to the servicing public affairs office.




affairs office. Commands must provide their servicing public affairs

office a letter designating their social media spokesperson and authorizing

them to conduct official unit communications. Strong passwords shall be

implemented to access all official social media sites. A strong password

consists of at least six characters including a combination of upper and

lower case letters, numbers and symbols.

First, sign in to the blog using your unique logon page following this URL

structure – http://blank.coastguard.dodlive.mil/wp-admin (e.g.

http://northeast.coastguard.dodlive.mil/wp-admin). Once logged in, follow

these steps to begin a blog post.

Start a Post

Authority

Training

http://pwtraining.dma.mil/

http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/wp-admin

12

Section II: DOD Live Wordpress Blog (cont.)

1. Select “Add New” to begin a new post.

2. Add a title, ideally seven words or less.

3. Add content. If you want to copy content from Word, paste into the

“HTML” tab to avoid coding errors. Links must be manually added

using the links button (see 7 below). To view the post as it will appear

when it is published, click on the “Visual” tab.

Feature style writing kept short and simple, usually between 400-600

words, works well for the web audience. Use your insider access to

take readers behind the scenes. Provide a perspective the public

wouldn’t normally receive from traditional media. Posts should follow

AP and Coast Guard Stylebook guidelines. Refer to chapter 11 of the

Public Affairs Manual for legal, security and release of information

considerations.

4. Add tags and select appropriate categories.

5. Add a featured image. This is the thumbnail image that appears on

the blog’s homepage. It is required for all blog posts and must be

100x100 pixels to work with our Wordpress theme. See “Adding

Images” below for more information.

Start a Post

(cont.)

13


6. Add an excerpt. The default is the first paragraph of the post unless

specific text is placed here.

7. Add links. Use links to lend credibility and sources for more

information. Try to use .gov, .mil, or other reputable sites (NOTE:

Links must be manually added using the link button).

8. Add images. Refer to “Add Images” below.

9. Save, preview or publish the post. Depending on administrative

privileges, these options may not be visible for all users. (NOTE: The

preview option only refreshes every 15 minutes).

10. Spell check. Before publishing, you can use this button to spell check

the post. (NOTE: Don’t forget to manually check spelling in your title,

name, formal titles, facts and figures).

After publishing the post, double check your blog to ensure it posted

correctly.

Photos are an essential element of a blog post. Imagery can help draw in

the reader and tell a story within the story.

Add Images

Start a Post

(cont.)

14


1. Choose a file for upload. The file size cannot exceed 1MB. It is

recommended that images be sized to 640x480 pixels, which is

optimized for web use. If you are setting the featured image (aka the

thumbnail), the image must be 100x100 pixels.

2. Select Upload.

3. Add a title. Section 508 requires all non-text elements to have a

textual equivalent. Each photo and graphic shall have an alternate

text coded into the element.

4. Add a caption. The caption shall be placed in both the “Caption” and

“Description” boxes to ensure Section 508 compliance. You can use

the CGVI cutline for your image or put in a new description that

better fits limited spacing available; however, always credit the

photographer. Caption and description are not needed for the

thumbnail (aka “featured image”).

5. Enter a link, if desired. The default is a new blog page.

6. Choose the alignment. Depending on the layout you desire for your

post, choose left, center or right.

7. Choose the desired size. Choose the appropriate size depending on

the layout you desire for your post. If you are setting the featured

image, you may choose the thumbnail (100x100) option; however,

you may prefer to manually crop the image to best fit the small size.

8. If you are setting the featured image, select “Use as featured

image.” This will automatically import the image as the thumbnail.

Click “Save all changes” to exit.

9. If you are adding an image to the post, select “Insert into post.” If

the image is not proportional once it is inserted it into the blog post,

click on the image in the draft, choose to edit it using the quick select

button on the image (1) and adjust the size (2). Select “Update” to

save changes (3).

Add Images (cont.)

15


While current Coast Guard policy DOES allow Coast Guard workstations

to go to YouTube and watch videos, it DOES NOT allow workstations to

view embedded YouTube video (it shows up as empty white space on

websites). Therefore, if you choose to embed video, carefully consider this

limitation. An alternative is to use an image and link to the video in the

“Link URL” box (as seen in item 5 of “Adding images” above).

To embed video on your blog post, follow these steps. (NOTE: This is the

only authorized method of embedding video that complies with privacy

laws and DHS policy and works with our Wordpress theme.)

1. In the “Visual” tab, select the icon that looks like a television set.

2. In the pop-up box, click on the “Portal video” tab.

3. In the “Select video portal” drop-down menu, select “YouTube

CG.”

4. Insert the video ID. The video ID is the series of letters and numbers

after the equal (=) sign in the YouTube URL. For example, in this

YouTube link - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvodVIzqWwg -

the video ID would be “jvodVIzqWwg.”

5. Select “Insert.” The embedded video will appear in the blog post as

bracketed code, but the actual post will have the YouTube video.

(NOTE: The default and unchangeable size of the video is 560x340)

Embed Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvodVIzqWwg

16


At times, it is necessary to update a post after it has been published to add

links, more information or correct mistakes. Commands shall strive to

ensure the information provided on the blog is completely accurate and

conveyed in the proper context.

Despite this commitment, mistakes may occur. When they do, they must

be corrected in a timely manner. Things like spelling and punctuation edits

can be made immediately. However, factual or contextual errors, to

include names, dates, or places, or adding additional information to the

post shall be flagged with the word “Update” at the top of the post

followed by a brief explanation of the changes and why they were made, if

appropriate (1).

Comments shall be moderated before publishing to ensure compliance

with the official Coast Guard Comment Policy (posted in the “About Us”

tab on every blog).

Comment

Moderation

Update a Post

17


Commands should engage when appropriate to respond to questions and

concerns (1). Make sure to follow guidance in chapter 11 of the Public

Affairs Manual when engaging. Comments that are clearly spam shall be

marked as “Spam.” Use the quick select buttons below each comment to

moderate or reply to comments (2).

For records management purposes, comments shall not be deleted (see

Records Management below). Good practice is to annotate, using

moderator’s initials, why the comment was not approved and then retain it

in the queue (3).




Since current policy does not provide a records schedule identifying what

social media content must be archived and for how long, CG-0922 worked

with the Department of Homeland Security and the National Archives and

Records Administration (NARA) to determine a records schedule.





retained permanently. Transfer content to NARA when five years

old. Format in accordance to existing NARA transfer guidance as









year.







Records

Management

Comment Moderation (cont.)

18


Because blogs are hosted on the dodlive.mil domain, DMA archives and

retains content and comments. Therefore, records are retained as long as

the content and comments are not deleted from the system. Follow the

guidance on Comment Moderation above.

To establish readership and credibility, blog managers should post at

least twice a week. If content or ideas are lacking, a series on a

particular topic of interest to your audience can help to fill lulls (e.g.

environmental issues, green initiatives, history pieces, personnel

highlights and cross posts from the Coast Guard Compass).

At times, a cross-link or cross-post of a locally relevant regional or

national SAR cases, news stories, blog posts, press releases or web site

is appropriate. Try not to favor any one news outlet and be careful of

inappropriate endorsements. It may be best to write a short

introduction and include a quote from leadership to provide a

command message, and then link to the story.

Keep your target audience in mind and tailor your posts appropriately.

Tell stories about the missions and the people at your unit in a way that

will engage your audience. Use your insider access to tell a behind the

scenes story that the public normally wouldn’t receive.

While the blog should never be used as an RSS feed of Coast Guard

news releases or photos, it can be used as an outlet for these products

if they are re-purposed in a suitable way (e.g. feature style story or

short summary with that behind the scenes point of view).

Make sure to carefully consider copyright issues and intellectual

property rights when using other sources of information.

After publication of a post, send the link to those who may have an

interest in reading, sharing or cross linking the post (i.e. unit

leadership, subjects, contributors, HQ social media).

Blogging Tips


19

Section III: Official Twitter Account

In collaboration with units in their area of responsibility, each area and

district public affairs staff will have the option of managing a Twitter

account. Official Coast Guard Twitter accounts shall begin with “USCG”

followed by the appropriate district regional title. For example, the First

District would choose www.twitter.com/USCGNortheast.





changes.

The following guidelines will help you set up your Twitter account in a

manner consistent with Coast Guard branding and to meet policy

requirements.




affairs office. Commands must provide their servicing public affairs office

a letter designating their social media spokesperson and authorizing them

to conduct official unit communications. Strong passwords shall be

implemented to access all official social media sites. A strong password

consists of at least six characters including a combination of upper and

lower case letters, numbers and symbols.

Since access to Twitter from a Coast Guard workstation is currently

prohibited, commands must decide if they have the ability to properly

manage a Twitter account IAW chapter 11 of the Public Affairs Manual

before requesting an identity. Commands may use unit funds to acquire

and use “stand-alone” computer terminals and Internet connections outside

of the Coast Guard network to obtain greater access to the blocked site

(consult your servicing procurement office for assistance).

While administrators cannot access Twitter from a Coast Guard

workstation, they can make status updates and upload pictures (Twitpic)

from a stand-alone or mobile device. However, they must be careful of

operational security (OPSEC), proper authority to release information and

the ability to adequately monitor follow-on tweets. To set up mobile

access, select “Settings” for your Twitter account and then “Mobile.”

Authority

Twitter Posts

Training

http://www.twitter.com/USCGNortheast

20

Section III: Official Twitter Account (cont.)

Any member who self-publishes online is personally accountable for

everything they post. Personnel bear a responsibility for ensuring

information disclosed (including personal comments) is accurate and

appropriate. Coast Guard members may be held accountable for violations

of the Uniform Code of Military Justice for content posted online.

Commands shall engage with their followers when appropriate to answer

questions, correct misinformation and generate dialogue. While AP style

is not essential due to character limitations, good grammar and avoiding

anomalous acronyms and shorthand is advised.

Commands shall set up their official Twitter account for consistent

branding and to ensure sites provide proper disclaimers. To start a new

Twitter account, go to www.Twitter.com and choose “Sign Up.”

1. Account name. All official Twitter accounts shall start with “USCG”

and then have your unit name. District accounts shall use the same

regional title as their blog (e.g. District One would use

USCGNortheast). The maximum number of characters for a Twitter

username is 15. Commands shall not use acronyms unless absolutely

necessary.

2. Set a profile picture. The selected image should be easily

recognizable, appropriate for the command, and include the word

“Official.” The standard size Twitter uses for this graphic is 73x73

pixels.

Twitter Basics

Twitter Posts (cont.)

http://www.twitter.com/

21


3. Set the background. Every official Coast Guard Twitter account will

have a background image with the proper disclaimers and a link to the

www.uscg.mil homepage. This background image is explained in

more detail under “Editing your Twitter Profile” below.

4. URL shortener. Due to privacy policy and security concerns, we

have identified two authorized URL shorteners. Preference is to use

Google URL shortener (http://goo.gl/) and our backup is Tweetburner

(www.tweetburner.com).

Editing your profile (also called “Settings”) is the first thing every Twitter

manager should do. You must include the following under each Setting

tab:

1. Account tab shall have an official contact e-mail address and Tweets

shall NOT be protected.

2. Profile tab bio entry shall state “An official USCG Twitter account.”

3. The Design tab background image shall set to the standard Coast

Guard theme. Contact CG-0922 at [email protected] to obtain the

graphic file for upload.

4. Design tab design colors shall be set to the following:

a. Background – white (ffffff)

b. Text – black (000000)

c. Links – blue (1d05fa)

d. Sidebar - white (ffffff)

e. Sidebar border - black (000000)

Content posted on social media sites in connection with the transaction of

public business may become a federal record and if so it is required to

maintain a copy per the appropriate records retention policies.







Edit your

Twitter Profile

Records

Management

Twitter Basics (cont.)

http://www.uscg.mil/

http://goo.gl/

http://www.tweetburner.com/

mailto:[email protected]

22




retained permanently and transfer to NARA when five years old.

Format in accordance to existing NARA transfer guidance as












IAW this records schedule, CG-0922 identified a free online tool,

www.backupify.com, to archive content and comments on official

Twitter sites. This tool enables the archival of several social media sites

including both personal Facebook profiles as well as pages. Coast Guard

Twitter site managers shall establish a separate, non-personal Backupify

account and maintain the archived data of the official Twitter account.

Tweet timely, hot-off-the-press information in the moment.

Tweet about locally relevant regional or national SAR cases, news

stories, blog posts, press releases or web sites.

Re-tweet and reply as appropriate to mentions using the @.

Twitter site managers should use suitable hashtags to help with search

engine optimization and Twitter searches.

Tweet a picture of the day, safe boating tips, things to know, area

familiarization information, unit stats, area safe boating courses, Coast

Guard tidbits, historical data, etc.

Consider using Twitpic (http://twitpic.com/) to share imagery.

Feature a “Did you know” series.

Try not to have Twitter solely rely on a news release feed as this will

not necessarily engage your audience. Individually tweet this

information and add a personal touch.

Create a hashtags (#) to help people track your posts. As an example,

search #uscg on http://search.twitter.com/.

Use Twitter services like www.tweetdeck.com or www.hootsuite.com

to easily manage your Twitter presence.

Twitter Tips



http://twitpic.com/

http://search.twitter.com/

http://www.tweetdeck.com/

http://www.hootsuite.com/

23

Section IV: YouTube Videos

In collaboration with units in their area of responsibility, each district

public affairs staff will have the option of managing a YouTube playlist on

the Coast Guard’s official YouTube channel

(www.youtube.com/uscgimagery). Units shall not establish a unique

YouTube channel and shall work with their servicing public affairs offices

to add video to the Coast Guard’s official YouTube channel.

Due to records management requirements and DHS policy, all imagery

posted on third-party online multimedia sites must also be uploaded to the

Coast Guard Visual Information Gallery (http://cgvi.uscg.mil) within a

reasonable amount of time.

The following guidelines will help you upload videos to your specific

playlist for consistent branding and to meet policy requirements.

This is a job aid to help you upload a video for streaming on the Coast

Guard’s YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/uscgimagery). First, sign

in to YouTube at http://www.youtube.com. Click “sign in” and type the

username and password. (NOTE: Authorized users will share a username

and password for this YouTube channel. Users must practice careful and

meticulous uploading of content to ensure it is properly added IAW these

guidelines. Do not share the username and password with anyone not on

the CG-0922 managed access list.)

While at the YouTube homepage click “USCGImagery” and “My

Channel” in the upper right hand corner.

Upload a new video

Authority

http://www.youtube.com/uscgimagery

http://cgvi.uscg.mil/

http://www.youtube.com/uscgimagery

http://www.youtube.com/

24

Section IV: YouTube Videos (cont.)

1. Select Upload.

2. Select Upload video.

3. Video privacy settings.

This is the first step after

selecting “upload video”

to prevent the video

from being publicly

viewed until all the

information is properly

added. This allows you

to upload the video and

make modifications

without it going public.

4. Video title. Add a

simple, short but catchy

title. Leave out the file

type (.wmv, .mov, .flv)

and numbers typically

assigned to CGVI

uploads.

5. Description. You can

use the CGVI cutline for

your video or put in a

new description

recounting the video.

Always credit the

videographer.

6. Tags. Add key words to help your video be searched online.

7. Category. For all Coast Guard videos this will be “News and

Politics.”

8. Add to series playlist. You must select your appropriate district

playlist.

Upload a new video (cont.)

25


9. Save Changes. You are now done inputting the basic video

information.

10. Uploaded. When the video is properly uploaded, it will create a

shaded green box at the top of the screen along with the YouTube link

to your video.

(NOTE: Every video must be immediately set to moderate comments. The

default is “Allow comments automatically,” which does not comply with

the Official Coast Guard Comment Policy. Every video must be manually

changed to “Allow comments with approval only.”(See 5 below under

“Edit video information”).

Once a video is uploaded you may need to make changes, set the privacy

settings from “private” to “public,” or add captions IAW Section 508

requirements (see “Closed caption videos” below).

Click on “USCGImagery” in the upper right corner of the YouTube

homepage and then “My Videos.” This lists all videos that have been

uploaded. You can watch, delete and edit and caption the video from here.

To make more detailed edits, click “edit.” (NOTE: If a video has been

uploaded as “private” it will still say “Live!” This does not mean it is

viewable to the public.)

1. Video information. Make

edits to the information you

previously entered.

2. Video thumbnail. Change the

default thumbnail for the

video. To upload your own

thumbnail, click “upload

thumbnail.” Image should be

120x90 pixels with a

maximum file size of 256K.

Edit video

information

Upload a new video (cont.)

26


3. Broadcasting and sharing options. Change the video setting from

“private” to “public” if desired.

4. Comments. The setting shall be set to “Allow all comments with

approval only.” This must be changed for every video every time.

Because comment moderation settings are set to approval required for

every video, comments made on “Channel Comments” and for each video

will be moderated by CG-0922 in accordance with our commenting

policy. If there are comments that raise questions regarding district units,

personnel or missions they may be forwarded to that district for response.

Google provides an easy to use application called CaptionTube for closed

captioning YouTube videos IAW Section 508 requirements. This is a

requirement for all videos with audio overlays that are uploaded to

YouTube (i.e. speeches, audio interview with b-roll video). This is not

required for background audio that may be captured on b-roll alone.

Before you can build captions for a YouTube video, it must already be

uploaded on into your YouTube channel as outlined above. Once it is

uploaded, navigate to http://captiontube.appspot.com (1) and logon using

any Google Account (2).

Once logged on, select a “Personal Video” from your YouTube channel

(1), select the video you want to caption (2), click on “Import” (3) and

then select “Edit” on the video to add captions (4).

Comment moderation

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i

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Closed caption

videos

Edit video information (cont.)

http://captiontube.appspot.com/

27


To add captions, on the next screen click “Add Caption” to mark the

caption start time (1).

Click to play the video (2). As the video plays, type what is being said in

the Caption Text box (3). Try to limit the caption to two or three lines of

text (ideally a duration of between six and 10 seconds) (4). Double check

spelling, punctuation and grammar before clicking “Save Caption” (5).

Repeat these steps until you have captioned the entire video. To edit a

caption after it has been saved, use the timeline at the bottom of this

screen to select the caption and edit it (6).

Closed caption videos (cont.)

28


Use the “Preview” tab to review your work (2). Return to the “Timeline”

(2) view to “Publish” your captions (3).

Select “Publish on YouTube” (1) and choose “Add as a new track” (2).

Then select “Publish” (3). This will automatically put the closed captions

into the YouTube video file.

As with all good practice, you should go back to your “My Videos” list

and play the video using closed captions to ensure the video is

properly saved.










Records

Management

Closed caption videos (cont.)

29


1. Original Public Affairs Content a. Original public affairs content posted on social media sites shall be











year.







IAW this records schedule, whenever a comment is made on YouTube,

regardless if it is approved or not, it is kept in CG-0922 social media

Gmail inbox where it will be archived by Backupify

(www.backupify.com) and managed by CG-0922.



30

Section V: Flickr Photos

In collaboration with units in their area of responsibility, each district

public affairs staff will have the option of managing a Flickr photo

collection on the Coast Guard’s official Flickr site

(www.flickr.com/coast_guard). Units shall not establish a unique Flickr

site and shall work with their servicing public affairs offices to add

imagery to the Coast Guard’s official Flickr site.

Due to records management requirements and DHS policy, all imagery

posted to third-party online multimedia sites must also be uploaded to the

Coast Guard Visual Information Gallery (http://cgvi.uscg.mil) within a

reasonable amount of time.

The following guidelines will help you upload photo sets to your

command’s collection for consistent branding and to meet policy

requirements.

This is a job aid to help you upload a photo on the Coast Guard’s Flickr

account. First, sign in to Flickr at http://www.flickr.com. Click “sign in”

and type the Yahoo! ID and password. (NOTE: Authorized users will

share a username and password for this Flickr site. Users must practice

careful and meticulous uploading of content to ensure it is properly added

IAW these guidelines. Do not share the username and password with

anyone not on the CG-0922 managed access list.)

Upload a photo

Authority

http://www.flickr.com/coast_guard

http://cgvi.uscg.mil/

http://www.flickr.com/

31

Section V: Flickr Photos (cont.)

Click “upload” in the upper right of the homepage.

1. Choose photos and

videos. Select the photo

you are uploading and

click “open.”

2. Privacy. Under set

privacy click “public.”

3. Upload photos and

videos. The photo will

upload and there will be

a green banner that

appears saying

“Finished!”

4. Click on “add a

description.” Add a

title, description and

tags.

5. Add a title. Add a

simple, short but catchy

title. Leave out the file type (.wmv, .mov, .flv) and numbers typically

assigned to CGVI uploads.

6. Add a description. You can use

the CGVI cutline for your video or

put in a new description

recounting the video. Always

credit the videographer

7. Add tags. To use tags for more

than one word (e.g. Coast Guard),

type the word in quotes (e.g.

“Coast Guard”). Be sure to include the mission area as a tag. Select

save. You can also add more tags once the photo is saved by clicking

on the photo and clicking “add a tag.”

4

Upload a photo (cont.)

32


Your photo is now in the Coast Guard’s official photo stream. Photos can

now be added to sets. These sets will be based on missions or events that

happen in your district. To start, click on the individual photo in the photo

stream.

1. Click “Add to a set.” There are two ways to add the photo to a set. A

and B (on the image above). Right now we will discuss option A.

2. Create a new set. For this example, we create a new set. If you are

uploading a photo to a set that already exists, just click on the desired

set in the sets list.

3. Title the set. This will be the name of the mission or particular event.

4. Describe the set. This will be a short synopsis of what the mission

was or the details of the particular event.

5. Create set.

Moving photo

into a set

33


6. Click on your new set. You will know be directed back to the sets

lists and you can click on your new set. A green check mark will

appear once it is added to the right of the set’s name to acknowledge it

was successful and will then disappear.

7. Select “done.”

Another way to add your photo to a set is by going into “organize &

create” on the homepage (option B). You will be directed to the organize

& create homepage which defaults to “batch organize.”

1. Click on sets &

collections.

Underneath that tab

will appear “create

a new collection or

set.” Click on the

word “set.”

2. Title the set. This

will be the name of

the mission or

particular event.

3. Describe the set.

This will be a short

synopsis of what the

mission was or the

details of the

particular event.

4. Drag photos into

stream. The bottom

photos are all photos

uploaded to your

photostream. To add

them to a set, click on the photo and drag it into the grey shaded area.

The photos will now appear in your set.

5. Drag a photo for the set’s album cover. By clicking on any photo in

your set, and dragging it over to the upper left image, it will replace

the photo that is currently the set’s album cover.

Moving photo into a set (cont.)

34


Your photo is now in the Coast Guard’s official photo stream and each

photo is in its set. Photos can now be added to a collection that will

represent each district. You can add the photo to the collection by staying

in the “organize & batch” tab.

1. Drag a set to a

collection. By clicking

on your set (or multiple

sets), and dragging it

over to the left side

where there is a list of

collections, your set will

be added to your

respective collection.

Your photos are now uploaded, in a set and in your respective collection.

To view your photo in the collection go to the Flickr homepage.

2. Click on collections. You will now be directed to a new page with

your respective collection that will include sets you have uploaded.

The best way to delete a photo, and ensure that you are not deleting any

sets or collections, is to delete the individual photo. Keep in mind that all

deletions, whether it be a set or a photo is permanent.

1. Click on actions.

2. Click on delete photo. You will get a warning

that this will be

permanent. Click “ok.”

Moving photos

into a collection

Deleting a

photo

35























year.







IAW this records schedule, whenever a comment is made on Flickr,

regardless if it is approved or not, it is kept in CG-0922 social media

Gmail inbox where it will be archived by Backupify

(www.backupify.com) and managed by CG-0922.

Records

Management


Field Guide Draft 2 - USCG - Dtd 28 Jan 2011

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Transcript of Field Guide Draft 2 - USCG - Dtd 28 Jan 2011