Tennessee town tries to ban negative comments on social media
The Washington Post
By Reid Wilson
19 December 2014
The city council in a small town in rural Tennessee is trying to stop
all those nasty comments made on Facebook, Twitter and other social
networks by banning negative thoughts.
Town commissioners in South Pittsburg, Tenn., just outside of
Chattanooga, voted 4-1 this week to approve what they call an
“all-inclusive” social networking policy. The policy would prohibit
elected officials, appointed board members, employees, volunteers,
contractors — basically anyone who has a financial or official
relationship with the city — from making negative comments on social
media platforms.
“It seems like every few meetings we’re having to address something
that’s been on Facebook and created negative publicity,” town
commissioner Jeff Powers said, according to the Chattanooga Times Free
Press.
“The first thing everyone wants to say is, ‘I can’t post anything on
Facebook,'” Powers said, responding to critics who said the policy
violates free speech rights. “Well, you can. Just not [anything] that
sheds a negative light on any person, entity, board or things of that
nature.”
City employees will have to sign a formal acknowledgement of the policy, with violators subject to sanctions.
South Pittsburg, population 2,992 according to the last Census, is a
small town; their Web site lists the phone numbers for the entire
police force — all six of them — and five public works employees.
It’s also the home to the National Cornbread Festival. It was not
immediately clear if someone who doesn’t like a recipe can make their
opinions known.
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