Capitol Communicator - Beware the Legal Issues of Social Media

FALLS CHURCH, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Organizations and businesses that don?t dedicate resources to social media can face risks that have a ripple effect well beyond the marketing department, according to presenters at Social Media: Navigating the Legal Minefield.

?Our group of Washington, D.C.-area communicators deals with these issues every day, and for many it is an experiment because social media changes so quickly?

The Capitol Communicator seminar hosted by MDB Communications revealed case studies of companies that were not prepared for the impact of social media. United Airlines, for example, lost $180 million in market capitalization because one customer posted on YouTube songs he wrote about the company breaking his guitar during shipment.

Speakers Drew Boortz and John Feldman of law firm Reed Smith described the steps for organizations to consider before establishing a presence on Facebook, Twitter or any of the dozens of social media outlets. These include knowing the social media platforms, reviewing social media policies and updating them as new regulations are released, and having appropriate expectations for what can be achieved, such as brand awareness. In creating a strategy, they recommend taking into account the concerns of regulators, such as ensuring disclosure of any form of payment to providers of testimonials.

?Our group of Washington, D.C.-area communicators deals with these issues every day, and for many it is an experiment because social media changes so quickly,? says Paul Duning, co-founder of Capitol Communicator. ?Events like this help to keep all of us current on best practices, successful in our jobs and able to create value for our employers.?

The sold-out presentation was partly based on a white paper from Reed Smith entitled Network Interference: A Legal Guide to the Commercial Risks and Rewards of the Social Media Phenomenon.

About Capitol Communicator

Capitol Communicator is the hub for Greater Washington?s communications industry. The online resource attracts 10,000 professionals in the media, marketing, advertising, PR, multimedia and related disciplines by giving them an online platform for interaction, news, job listings, and educational and networking events that helps them succeed.