Here’s a great example of something going completely opposite of what was intended:
Magnolia, AR, Mayor Parnell Vann sent a letter to city workers instructing to refrain from using social media to complain about City Hall issues. Of course, the letter ended up on social media.
According to KTBS, the letter was dated August 22 and found it’s way to the news station via an anonymous source. The letter (pictured above) states the following:
To all city employees, I strongly urge you to not use social media to vent on any city or county government issues. If you are unhappy with a situation, contact that leader and discuss it with them. Again, I strongly urge you to speak with your spouse and family members and stress to them the importance of this. If not for the City, you wouldn’t have a job and/or health insurance. If I hear of this going on, it will result in disciplinary action.
What the mayor had hoped would happen, obviously, was that everyone working for the city would immediately stop all city-related complaints on social media. But what happened was quite the opposite. Magnolia residents contacted KTBS through social media and websites to alert them of the mayor’s letter. KTBS posted the letter to their Facebook page, and it has been shared over 100 times with over 200 comments.
Mayor Vann has yet to comment on the situation. Once he does, it’s a safe bet it won’t be through a tweet.
