Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/879767
media. SAG-AFTRA negotiated new contract language providing that members would not be expected to post on social media during non-work hours and would not be asked to promote the stations on their personal social media accounts. "Having this new language is very helpful in clarifying expectations and avoiding situations where people might feel pressured, for instance, to tweet or post from home at night when they are supposed to be off the clock," said PRS-FM on-air personality ady T. Understanding what's expected in the realm of social media and having enforceable contract language to back it up was also central to the recently negotiated four-year contract covering more than 120 newsroom employees at TPFED, which serves Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. New work rules were created for digital section editors, which maintain wtop.com's Entertainment, Sports and iving pages, since these positions no longer t the traditional work model of a consecutive eight-hour day within a 40-hour work week. These multimedia content positions included attending events, writing, editing, producing, performing as broadcast talent and maintaining blogs, while tweeting updates and generating in-depth pieces for the web. This included work on location, in the studio and newsroom as well as at home in order to ensure fresh and up-to- date material. "Prior to the start of negotiations, we three section editors approached SAG-AFTRA about the additional responsibilities of creating material above and beyond the regular 40-hour work week, TP Entertainment Editor ason Fraley said. "It had become more and more difcult to perform multimedia work within the parameters of a traditional radio broadcast structure, so it was time for all of us to look outside the box and create a new way of doing business, while still protecting and honoring the fundamental principles of the union contract. I am thrilled to have both SAG-AFTRA ghting on our behalf as well as the great folks at TP who continually prove themselves to be exible, generous, big-hearted people. This team effort of negotiation is precisely why WTOP is the leading commercial billing radio station in the country." The issue goes beyond managing work hours for some members, who must contend with employers who institute social media quotas and use them as measures of job performance. So not only are these employees being judged by ratings, they must ensure that they are growing their numbers of followers. It can put a professional journalist — whose job isn't to tell people what they want to hear, but rather what they need to know — in direct competition with everyone who's ever posted a cute cat video on YouTube, pictures from their friend's baby shower on Facebook, or political rantings on Twitter. And if they fail to deliver, they may not get their contract renewed. ikes and follows are an articial metric that don't really measure anything tangible — it's essentially an online poll, and those are notorious for their inaccuracy. It's also wildly unfair, because some employees have more time to devote to it than others, and it often comes down to a popularity contest that does little to reect the quality of work. There's a place for digital outreach through social media, but piling it on as an extra duty for a full-time broadcaster serves no one. In addition, for our members who are reporters, it's directly counter to their philosophy of not making themselves the center of attention in a story. "While we understand the digital world is here to stay, too much focus on social media metrics can increase the workload to the point where our broadcasters are simply spread too thin," said Cavallaro. "It's hard to hold the powerful to account when you're busy chasing retweets and likes." In addition, the push to constantly break news can also lead to a failure to properly fact-check, as social media postings may not be vetted as rigorously as a regular story. Then, when a mistake happens, it not only tarnishes the reporter's reputation, but can lead to disciplinary action. News organizations have always valued their ability to report the news rst, but in the digital age, when speed is measured in seconds, the pressure on members can be enormous. Members shouldn't be made to feel that getting the story rst is more important than getting it right. If members of a unit are concerned that social media policies may be problematic, SAG-AFTRA works to set limits during contract negotiations, just as it did for ady T and her colleagues. Also important is giving members the agency to use their professional judgment in the workplace, so that when time resources are limited, journalism takes priority over social media. Also part of union negotiations can be the question of who owns a social media account once employment ends. The union prefers that members be allowed to take their accounts — and the followers they have built up — with them when they change jobs. If a member has a concern about the impact of technology in — and sometimes outside — of the workplace, he or she should contact the union. If the issue impacts everyone in the unit, the employee can remain anonymous. If it's an individual concern, SAG-AFTRA will bring the member and the management – LADY T "Having this new language is very helpful in clarifying expectations and avoiding situations where people might feel pressured, for instance, to tweet or post from home at night when they are supposed to be off the clock." Continues on next page SAGAFTRA.org | Summer/Fall 2017 | SAG-AFTRA 35