Media Publishing Roles

Always do this:

• Be respectful, calm and professional.
• Make the case for Green solutions rather than attacking opponents.
• Keep content fresh, local, factual and hopeful.
• Be selective about publicly identifying yourself as Green unless it is relevant and useful.
• Add your own context when sharing articles or reposting content.
• Use accessi­­ble writing where possible: plain English, CamelCase hashtags, alt text on images, captions on videos.
• Treat anything public-facing as if it could be screenshotted, forwarded or quoted.
• Escalate before posting if you are unsure.

Do not do this:

• Do not make promises on behalf of the party unless you are clearly authorised to do so.
• Do not announce policy changes, local commitments or campaign positions as if they are agreed when they are not.
• Do not publish personal data, electoral register information, internal discussions or confidential material.
• Do not post in anger.
• Do not get drawn into prolonged arguments online.
• Do not amplify opponents unnecessarily.
• Do not use Green affiliation to lend false authority to a personal opinion.

Escalate immediately if the post or issue involves:

• legal risk
• personal data or electoral register information
• safeguarding concerns
• complaints about racism, discrimination, harassment or abuse
• media interest or likely press pickup
• promises, policy commitments or financial implications
• criticism of another Green member, candidate or councillor
• a fast-moving controversy or reputational issue

How do I get help – what is Escalation?

You are not alone.  Escalation is a route to support and decision-making.  The aim of escalation is to assess acceptability and risk, both legally and politically.

It is not to judge whether content is skilfully crafted, proofread, or likely to be effective: the WhatsApp NWOGP Media Group is the expert forum for these consultations.

If a matter is unclear, sensitive, urgent or high-risk, it should be escalated rather than consulted on in multiple places.

Content Advisors may help with quick views on straightforward questions, but they are not a substitute for escalation in high-risk or disputed cases.
Candidates / Campaign Managers will guide you on agreed messaging for their own ward or campaign.
The Media Group will act as an escalation route and decision-maker when requested.

For  escalation enquiries, send your proposed content to:
media@northandwestoxon-greens.uk

Our system is designed for a fast response.  The guarantee is a reply within 24 hours.

This section is for members posting in a personal capacity who may sometimes be visibly associated with the Green Party, but are not acting as campaign leads, candidates, councillors or official account admins.

What you can post freely
• Your personal support for Green values, campaigns and candidates
• Local observations, community news and positive local stories
• Reasons you support the Green Party
• Attendance at events, canvassing or leafleting
• Sharing official Green content with your own brief comment
• Respectful discussion of policy details, so long as you stay within agreed party direction

What usually requires a sense check

• Posts that may be read as an official local party position
• Statements about what “the party will do”
• Criticism of another Green member, candidate or councillor
• Posts about a developing controversy, complaint or sensitive incident
• Graphics or videos using prominent local Green branding if newly created
• Anything that could trigger press interest

What you must not post

• Commitments or promises on behalf of the branch
• Private member discussions, screenshots from internal chats, or confidential planning
• Electoral register data or other personal data
• Abuse, personalised attacks, inflammatory labels or pile-ons
• Posts implying you speak for the local party unless authorised
• Public arguments with candidates, councillors or officers
• Material that contradicts settled party direction in a way that presents the party
as divided

When to escalate

• You are unsure whether your post sounds personal or official
• You want to comment on a controversial local issue while identifying as Green
• You think a post may be legally risky, defamatory or misleading
• You are targeted with serious abuse or threats
• You are asked by media to comment on behalf of the party

Imprint reminders

In general, ordinary members acting in their own personal capacity do not need digital imprints. The national Green digital campaigning guidance specifically says members, volunteers and supporters acting personally do not require them, unless they become candidates.

Practical rule:
• do not blur the line between personal and official
• if you later become a candidate, the rules change
• if you are reposting or creating clearly campaign-style material, check before posting

Tone expectations

• Warm, constructive, calm
• Professional disagreement is fine
• No “dunking”, no goading, no personalised abuse
• Focus on why Green, not why not others

Example scenarios:

Fine:
“Great to be out leafleting in Bicester today. Lots of good conversations about buses, green spaces and the cost of living.”

Check first:
“NW Oxfordshire Greens will force the council to do [x policy] as soon as we win.”

Not okay:
“Anyone who disagrees with this is a disgrace and clearly doesn’t care about ordinary people

For  escalation enquiries, send your proposed content to:
media@northandwestoxon-greens.uk

Our system is designed for a fast response.  The guarantee is a reply within 24 hours.

This section is for members helping with campaigning, canvassing, leaflet rounds, events, content creation or campaign coordination, but who are not standing themselves.

What you can post freely:

• Campaign activity updates: leafleting, canvassing, stalls, community events
• Encouraging people to volunteer or attend public events
• Sharing official campaign material
• Positive stories about local campaigning
• Content about local issues framed around Green solutions

What usually requires coordination or a sense check:

• New campaign messages or slogans not already agreed
• Attack lines or comparative content about opponents
• Graphics or videos created for campaign use
• Public responses to accusations, misinformation or controversy
• Posts that look like an official branch statement
• Any content that may count as formal campaign material during an election period

What you must not post:

• Unapproved promises on behalf of a candidate or the branch
• Statements suggesting policy has been agreed when it has not
• Canvassing data, voter information, electoral register extracts or internal targeting information
• Photos or stories that expose private resident information
• Unverified claims about opponents
• Anything that could compromise a candidate, campaign or election return

When to escalate

• You want to publish new branded campaign content
• A resident complaint or local issue could become sensitive
• You are asked to respond publicly to criticism of a candidate
• You are using data, mailing tools or targeted campaigning tools
• You are not sure whether the material needs an imprint

Imprint reminders

Volunteers acting personally do not normally need imprints. But campaign-related content can move into a higher-risk area very quickly.   The national Green guidance recommends always including imprints where required and notes that candidates and official channels definitely need them.

Practical rule:  if it is clearly campaign material created for a candidate, campaign or official Green account, check whether it should carry the campaign imprint.  If in any doubt, escalate before publication.

Tone expectations

• Encouraging, active, disciplined
• Community-focused rather than tribal
• Not overstating what the party or candidate can guarantee

Example scenarios

Fine:

“Join us on Saturday for a community litter pick and chat with local Greens.”

Check first:

A new election graphic saying “Vote Green to stop [opponent] ruining the town.”

Not okay:

posting a map or screenshot showing which streets are Green targets, canvass returns, or voter notes.

For  escalation enquiries, send your proposed content to:
media@northandwestoxon-greens.uk

Our system is designed for a fast response.  The guarantee is a reply within 24 hours.

This section is for any declared candidate, including paper candidates. Candidates have a much higher responsibility because the public may reasonably assume they speak with authority, and because the national imprint guidance says candidates must include imprints when publicly promoting the party or expressing political views online.

What you can post freely:

• Your own local campaigning activity
• Your personal reasons for standing
• Green policies and local priorities already agreed or clearly established
• Community engagement, events, door-knocking and casework-type themes
• Reposting official local or national Green content
• Constructive explanation of local problems and Green solutions

What usually requires a prior sense check

• New promises or commitments
• Statements that could bind the branch, future group, or council position
• Sensitive responses to opponents, complaints, media attacks or controversies
• Content on divisive national issues if presented in a local Green candidate capacity
• High-production campaign videos or graphics using official branding
• Content involving legal, planning, employment or safeguarding allegations

What you must not post

• Contradictions of agreed party direction in a way that creates confusion
• Announcements of policy, spending or campaign commitments as if already agreed by others
• Criticisms of Green candidates or councillors
• Personal attacks, inflammatory labels or “culture war” style content
• Anything that risks defamation or misleads residents
• Any use of voter data or internal campaign data

When to escalate

• You are about to make a promise
• You are responding to criticism from media or a political opponent
• You want to comment on a legal dispute, complaint or allegation
• You are unsure whether a post needs approval or amendment
• There is a risk the post may be interpreted as the branch’s formal position

Imprints

Candidates must treat digital imprints as standard practice.

The national Green digital campaigning guidance says candidates must include imprints when publicly promoting the party or expressing political views online, and recommends always including a digital imprint because the consequences of getting it wrong are high.

Practical rule:

• Keep an imprint on your relevant profiles where possible
• Include an imprint in campaign material and posts
• When posting from a public account about politics, assume imprint rules apply
• If you have an agent, use the correct candidate/agent wording
• When in doubt, include the imprint or ask before posting

Tone expectations:

• Credible, measured, locally grounded
• Hopeful and solutions-based
• Calm under pressure
• Never casual about promises

Example scenarios

Fine:
“Residents keep raising buses, flooding and housing quality on the doorstep. Those are exactly the issues I want to work on.”
Check first:
“If elected, I will guarantee no rise in [X] and deliver [Y] in the first 100 days.”
Not okay:
“Our Green councillors have got this wrong.”

For  escalation enquiries, send your proposed content to:
media@northandwestoxon-greens.uk

Our system is designed for a fast response.  The guarantee is a reply within 24 hours.

This section reflects the fact that councillors may operate with several “hats”: personal, party-political, and council/officeholder. The branch has already agreed that people should be clear which hat they are wearing. That clarity is essential.

What you can post freely

• Updates on your work, meetings, ward activity and community engagement
• Explanations of Green priorities and values
• Positive examples of local action or resident concerns
• Reposting official party content with your own local framing
• Personal reflections that remain professional and clearly separate from council communications where needed

What usually requires coordination or prior checking

• Statements that may commit the local party or future Green group
• Responses to major controversies, complaints or attacks
• Public disagreement with another Green representative
• Statements about future council action that are not yet agreed
• Content where the line between councillor role and party role is unclear
• Election-period content connected to re-election or future candidacy

What you must not post

• Party-political campaigning through council channels inappropriately
• Public promises you may later need to reverse
• Public attacks on other Greens
• Anything that confuses your council role with your party role
• Content that appears to use privileged information improperly
• Internal casework details or personal data

When to escalate

• You are speaking on a contested or sensitive local issue
• There may be legal, reputational or council-code implications
• A post could be read as a formal party promise
• You are using your councillor profile for campaign-style content
• You are standing again and campaign rules are becoming relevant

Imprint reminders

The national Green digital campaigning guidance states that elected Greens must include imprints whenever publicly promoting the party, its policies or elected Greens, and even recommends imprints in councillor signatures where there is any risk the content could be read as promoting the party.

Practical rules:

• keep imprint arrangements in place on relevant public profiles
• if using a public political account, assume imprint discipline is needed
• if using a council email or tool in any way that might be seen as political, take extra care
• if unsure which hat you are wearing, pause and check

Tone expectations:

• Disciplined, confident, measured
• No public freelancing on behalf of the branch
• No internal disputes aired publicly
• Clear distinction between representing residents, explaining party politics, and campaigning

Example scenarios

Fine:
“I met residents today about traffic and pedestrian safety. Thank you to everyone who shared concerns.”

Check first:
“The Green team will definitely vote against this budget line next month.”

Not okay:
using a council-branded channel to campaign against political opponents.

For  escalation enquiries, send your proposed content to:
media@northandwestoxon-greens.uk

Our system is designed for a fast response.  The guarantee is a reply within 24 hours.

(Accounts run by local teams of Green Party members; for example, branch accounts or location-based sub-branch accounts)

This section covers anyone posting, scheduling, moderating or managing accounts that are officially controlled by the branch or by a candidate/councillor campaign team. Official accounts should follow the strongest approval discipline of any role, because they are most likely to be read as speaking for the branch, a candidate or an elected representative rather than as personal opinion.

What you can post freely

• Agreed campaign content
• Event promotion
• Local updates aligned with agreed messaging
• Approved graphics, photos and videos
• Reposts of national Green content with local context
• Community content where it supports an agreed Green message and is handled carefully

What requires approval

• new campaign lines or slogans
• content on sensitive or controversial issues
• responses to opponents, criticism, press coverage or misinformation
• promises, commitments or policy interpretations
• graphics or videos created from scratch
• content involving legal, financial, reputational or safeguarding risk
• any rapid-response content in a crisis
• anything that could be interpreted as an official party position beyond routine local messaging

What you must not post

• Unapproved commitments
• Personal opinions presented as official local party positions
• Content attacking opponents in a personalised or inflammatory way
• Internal disagreements or disciplinary matters
• Confidential information or personal data
• Electoral register information
• Content that could expose the branch, candidate or councillor to avoidable legal risk

When to escalate

• any possible legal issue
• any complaint involving racism, discrimination, harassment or abuse
• any media enquiry
• any likely press pickup
• any promise or major policy statement
• any crisis, pile-on, hack, spoof account or suspected security incident
• any content during a temporary “freeze” period

Imprint reminders

Official Green digital communications, including local party social media accounts and websites, must include imprints when publicly promoting the party, candidates or elected Greens. The national digital guidance is explicit on this and recommends always including digital imprints because the rules are broad and mistakes carry serious consequences.

Practical rule:

• official accounts should have imprint arrangements built into profiles, page descriptions, banners, pinned posts or standard templates as appropriate by platform
• new posts should include or clearly carry the imprint where needed
• videos and audio require special care because the imprint must remain readable or audible
• if content may be reshared without the imprint carrying over, build it into the image/video itself where practical

Tone expectations

• Consistent, factual, constructive
• Distinctly “official”
• More careful than personal accounts
• Never impulsive
• Always aligned with agreed branch and party direction

Admin and security basics

Official account admins should also follow the national social media guidance on security and access control:

• keep access limited to people who genuinely need it
• ensure at least two trusted people can access essential accounts and passwords
• use a proper password manager
• do not store passwords in Google Docs or similar
• use delegated access tools where available instead of widely sharing passwords

Example scenarios

Fine:
posting an approved event graphic for a canvassing session.
Check first:
a quick rebuttal graphic calling out an opponent’s claim as “lies”.
Not okay:
an admin using the branch account to post a personal rant or intervene in an internal dispute.

For  escalation enquiries, send your proposed content to:
media@northandwestoxon-greens.uk

Our system is designed for a fast response.  The guarantee is a reply within 24 hours.