Skip to main content

DRBC Social Media Comment Policy

Purpose

The Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) is utilizing social media to reach a broader audience with news on Commission activities and related information. The DRBC is using Twitter, YouTube, Flickr, Instagram, and LinkedIn, in addition to RSS feeds; social media sites may be added or deleted by the Commission at any time. The following policy establishes guidelines for commenting on DRBC’s social media posts. This policy is subject to amendment or modification at any time.

Disclaimer

The DRBC is a federal/interstate government agency responsible for managing the water resources within the 13,539 square-mile Delaware River Basin without regard to political boundaries. The DRBC’s official social media sites are managed and monitored by the communications office during normal business hours, which are Monday – Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. DRBC social media sites will be checked as time allows and information will be shared or replied to as deemed appropriate.   

The DRBC web site, www.drbc.gov, will remain the agency’s primary internet presence. In most cases, content posted to DRBC social media sites will also be available on the Commission’s web site, and links to relevant web pages will be included in our posts for those seeking more information on a particular topic. 

Comment Policy

DRBC will share information, images, and video with the public via sites such as Twitter, YouTube, Flickr, Instagram, and LinkedIn, and readers are invited to share their relevant thoughts and visual content with us and with others. The views expressed in visitor comments reflect those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official views of the DRBC. Also, external links posted on a Commission site do not constitute official endorsement by the DRBC.

Comments are expected to be courteous and respectful, even if they reflect a dissenting opinion. Comments are also expected to be related to the posted topic. DRBC has established the guidelines set forth below for the posting of comments and reserves the right to remove or report comments that are inconsistent with this policy or unrelated to the posted topic. 

Commenters on DRBC posts grant DRBC and anyone viewing the Commission’s sites permission to copy, distribute, or share the commenter’s work. Please note that commenters and the written and visual content they post are also subject to the Terms of Service (TOS) of the host site, and posted items may be used by the host site operators for their own purposes. For more information, consult the host web site’s TOS.

DRBC reserves the right to remove posts if they violate any of the guidelines listed below.

  • Do not post graphic, obscene, explicit or racial comments. Do not post comments that are offensive, abusive, hateful, vindictive, or intended to threaten or defame anyone or any organization.
  • Do not post any suggestion or encouragement of illegal activity.
  • Do not post spam or multiple, successive off-topic posts, either as a single person or by multiple users.
  • Do not post unsolicited proposals or other business ideas or inquiries.
  • Do not post promotions or endorsements of commercial services, products, or entities.
  • Do not post advertisements, prize contests, or giveaways; this includes promotion or endorsement of any financial, commercial, or non-governmental agency. Similarly, do not defame or defraud any financial, commercial, or non-governmental agency.
  • Do not post details about an ongoing investigation or legal or administrative proceeding that could prejudice the processes or could interfere with an individual’s rights.
  • Do not post anything that contains impersonations or misrepresents the writer’s identity or affiliation.
  • Do not post anything that contains viruses or similar harmful programs.
  • Do not post anything that contains proprietary information, copyrighted, trademarked, or other intellectual property that is posted without the approval of the owner.
  • Do not post anything that contains comments regarding a candidate in a partisan political campaign or regarding a political party and no political propaganda or campaign materials of any kind.
  • Do not post anything that contains information that violates a local, state, or national law.

Commenters participate at their own risk, taking personal responsibility for their comments, username, and any information provided. In general, to protect your privacy, please do not include information that identifies you (an email address or phone number) in the text of your comment. If DRBC staff or Commissioners would like to contact you, Commission staff may ask you to provide your name and e-mail address. You may do so voluntarily or decline if you do not wish to receive direct communication. 

DRBC images and video posted by DRBC to its social media sites should be properly cited and credited to the DRBC if used elsewhere, such as a printed publication. DRBC requests that individuals wishing to use a DRBC image or video elsewhere contact the Commission at contact@drbc.gov to obtain proper accreditation language. 

The online form at www.nj.gov/drbc/contact/general should be used for communications that are unrelated to social media posts, general comments, or to make requests of DRBC members and staff. Social media communications are not a means of submitting public comments for the record on a proposed rulemaking, draft docket, or other Commission action. Please check the DRBC’s official public notices for detailed information on how to provide comments for inclusion in the decision-making record of the Commission.

Reporters must send questions to the communications director at 609-883-9500 ext. 208 or the communications specialist at 609-883-9500 ext. 205 during normal business hours. Inquiries will not be accepted via social media sites. 

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.