HHS Blogging Standard

Definitions
Applicability
Approval and Clearance
Blog Posts
Blog Comments
Technical Requirements
Model Blog Policy

Personnel of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services may initiate and conduct professional blogs subject to the following:

The blog shall serve a defensible professional purpose, worth the expenditure of government time and resources
The blogger shall be identified by professional title and/or position, program, office, or initiative.
The blog is part of or supported by a well-considered communications plan.
- The intended primary audience is identified, the purpose and desired outcome of the blog are stated, and metrics for measuring the success of the blog are identified.
- There is a commitment to sustain the blog, averaging at least one posting a week and more frequently if the intended duration of the blog is short-term.
- Resources must be in place to manage the blog, including the creation and review of blog entries, moderation of all comments in a timely fashion, reporting to monitor the success of the blog, and any relevant outreach efforts.
The blog platform (application) shall have been cleared by IT Security.

I. Definitions

A professional blog is any externally facing blog conducted on or off department servers in which the blogger writes as a representative of or spokesperson for the Department, using a professional title or stating Department affiliation.
Department refers to the Office of the Secretary and all OpDivs and StaffDivs and their managed offices and programs.

II. Applicability

This standard applies to all public-facing blogs.
Controlled-audience blogs (not open to the public) such as may be developed to support department business or functions on the intranet, within a portal community or on some other collaborative platform are not subject to the implementation requirements outlined below.
Nothing in this standard prevents a Department employee from personally blogging on non-government servers when off duty. Department employees should request their supervisor’s written clearance to use their official title or to indicate their association with the Department when participating on a blog as a private citizen. Supervisors shall maintain that document with the employee’s personnel folder.

III. Approval and Clearance

The professional blog shall be approved by senior OP or StaffDiv management
Blogging by senior managers/advisors shall be approved by the HHS Chief of Staff.
All blogs are to be listed, with their approvals, with ASPA/Web Communications Division (WCD) (Kathryn.hambleton@hhs.gov) and will be presented on a central HHS.gov Blog Directory. This directory will be posted (and linked from here) once constituted.
WCD must be notified when a blog is retired.
A Records Officer must also be notified of the blog and guidance should be sought regarding proper record maintenance (scheduling and disposition).
Blogs with a finite duration will specify the intended dates with their listing. Blogs without a finite duration will be reviewed for compliance with this standard in an annual review for clearance. Any blogger found to not be compliant with this standard (including inactivity) will be notified of the violation and the blog may be removed.
WCD will retire the blog arbitrarily if there is no activity in any six-week period. Note that maintenance of blog records, including all postings and comments, whether posted or not, remains the responsibility of the office originating the blog.
A Supervisor’s approval is also required for guest blogging on non-department blogs.

IV. Blog Posts

Professional blogs are a form of new media but, like traditional media such as interviews and editorials, blogs should reflect current Department policy and Department supported activities.
Blogs are expected to remain within a given area of expertise relevant to the office or person publishing the blog.
Links within the blog are encouraged but links to non-federally managed sites or content should so note using the standard exit icon () and disclaimer (linked from the icon).

V. Blog Comments

The blog is expected to invite comments which shall be subject to review (moderated blog). The use of a blog as a communication tool creates certain expectations on the part of the reader. A departmental blog that does not accept comments should have a clear justification for using a blog as a communication tool, despite not accepting comments.
The Department’s Blog Comment Policy (model attached) will be clearly posted on the blog.
Anticipate comments that may express views ranging from full support to total opposition for current Department policies or activities; full discourse should be allowed within the limits of the comment policy.
Comments containing violations of the comment policy will not be posted (see Department Blog Comment Policy attached).
A record must be kept of all comments received and those records must be scheduled and their dispositions set per Records Management.
HHS employees that participate in HHS operated or maintained blogs shall comply with the HHS information technology (IT) security rules of behavior (HHS-OCIO-2008-0001.003S, dated February 12, 2008).

VI: Technical Requirements

The blogging application and all posts and comments must meet section 508 requirements.
The blog should have a clearly posted privacy policy and disclaimer. See below for example.
Professional blogs are subject to the Department’s Web Records Policy; all postings and all comments, whether published or rejected, are considered records.
The use of metrics is encouraged to assess trends and measure the effectiveness of the blog as a communication tool and worthwhile activity.

VII: Model Blog Policy

Comments

The purpose of this blog is to XXX. [This opening paragraph may be expanded, ex.: We encourage your comments; your ideas and concerns are important to ensure that a broad range of Americans are active and informed participants in the discussion.]

This is a moderated blog. We expect that participants will treat each other with respect. All comments are reviewed before posting. We will not post comments that contain vulgar language; personal attacks of any kind; or offensive terms that target specific ethnic, racial, religious, age, or gender orientation groups. Comments that are spam, are clearly off topic, that promote services or products, or that make unsupported accusations will not be posted.

Reporters are asked to send questions to the [HHS or OPDIV] Media Office through their normal channels and to refrain from submitting questions here as comments. Reporter questions will not be posted or answered.

We recognize that the Web is a 24/7 medium, and your comments are welcome at any time. However, given the need to manage federal resources, moderating and posting comments will occur during regular business hours. Comments submitted after hours or on weekends or holidays will be read and posted as early as possible the next business day.

For the benefit of robust discussion, comments shall remain on-topic. To protect your own privacy and the privacy of others, please do not include phone numbers or email addresses in the body of your comment.

Privacy

This blog does not gather information about you, other than information automatically collected and stored (see below), when you visit our Web site unless you choose to provide that information to us. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will not share or sell any personal information obtained from users with any other organization or government agency except as required by law. Please view our complete Privacy and Security Policy.

Linking Policy and Disclaimer of Endorsement

This blog includes useful hypertext links or pointers to information created and maintained by other public and private organizations and individuals' blogs. This blog provides these links and pointers solely for our users' information and convenience. Such links are indicated by our standard exit icon () and disclaimer.

When you select a link to an outside Web site, you are leaving this blog and are subject to the privacy and security policies of the owners/sponsors of the outside Web site.

HHS and this blog do not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness or completeness of information contained on a linked Web site.

HHS and this blog do not endorse the organizations sponsoring linked Web sites, and we do not endorse the views they express or the products/services they offer.

HHS and this blog cannot authorize the use of copyrighted materials contained in linked Web sites. Users must request such authorization from the sponsor of the linked Web site. Those who provide comments are responsible for the copyright of the text they provide.

HHS and this blog are not responsible for transmissions users receive from linked Web sites.

HHS and this blog do not guarantee that outside Web sites comply with Section 508 (Accessibility Requirements) of the Rehabilitation Act.

These views and posted comments do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, or the federal government.

[Optional close, ex: Thank you for taking the time to read this comment policy. We encourage your participation in our discussion and look forward to an active exchange of ideas.]