JCTDA Social Media Policy
Jackson County Tourism Development Authority (JCTDA) Official Social Media Comment Policy
Effective Date: 4/6/2025
Applies To: All official social media platforms managed or operated by the Jackson County TDA
Purpose
The Jackson County TDA uses official social media accounts to promote tourism-related information, events, and services relevant to Jackson County, North Carolina. These platforms are used for informational purposes and represent a limited public forum. While public engagement is encouraged, all interactions must adhere to the rules outlined below to ensure respectful, relevant, and safe communications.
Legal Context
As a quasi-governmental entity funded by public occupancy tax revenues, the JCTDA is subject to the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, North Carolina public records laws, and legal standards governing limited public forums. Any content moderation must be applied neutrally, consistently, and without regard to individual viewpoints or political opinions.
Moderation Standards
The JCTDA reserves the right to remove, hide, report, or restrict any comments, posts, replies, or messages that fall into the following categories:
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Profane, obscene, or vulgar language, including masked profanity or suggestive language.
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Personal attacks, threats, intimidation, harassment, or targeting of any individual, public official, employee, business, or organization.
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Discriminatory content or hate speech targeting any protected class including race, religion, gender, age, nationality, disability, or sexual orientation.
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Defamatory or knowingly false statements, especially those that damage reputations or spread misinformation about JCTDA operations or affiliated organizations.
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Sexually explicit, suggestive, or lewd content, including inappropriate imagery or links.
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Promotions of commercial products or services, advertisements, affiliate links, or spam.
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Solicitations or fundraising requests unrelated to official TDA partnerships or programs.
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Content that promotes or incites illegal activity, violence, or civil disorder.
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Posts unrelated to the original topic, including repetitive, off-topic, or disruptive comments intended to derail conversation.
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Multiple or repetitive submissions, including copy-pasted content (“spam”) across posts or platforms.
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Impersonation of any individual or organization, or misrepresentation of affiliation with the TDA or Jackson County.
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Content that threatens the integrity of public safety, tourism operations, or government security procedures.
Account Restrictions
Users who violate this policy may, at the discretion of the JCTDA:
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Have individual posts or comments hidden or deleted
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Be muted or restricted on the platform
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Be temporarily or permanently blocked after repeated or severe violations
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Be reported to the platform provider and/or law enforcement when necessary
All moderation actions are logged and reviewed for compliance and consistency.
Appeals Process
Individuals may appeal a moderation action by submitting a written request to:
Jackson County TDA
Attn: Social Media Manager
socialmedia@discoverjacksonnc.com
Appeal Deadline: Within 10 business days of the action
Appeals will be reviewed by the Executive Director and legal counsel, and responses issued within 15 business days.
Disclaimers
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The JCTDA is not responsible for public content posted by third parties on its platforms.
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Comments or links posted by external parties do not constitute endorsement by the JCTDA.
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The TDA may turn off commenting or restrict engagement on certain posts when necessary to maintain platform integrity.
Public Records Notice
All content shared with or posted on JCTDA social media accounts may be subject to public records requests under North Carolina law.
Contact
For questions about this policy or moderation practices, please contact:
director@discoverjacksonnc.com