Council staff told how to address fake news online

South Tyneside Council has given staff guidance on how to tackle fake news

A council has given its staff advice about how to tackle "fake news and misinformation" being spread across its constituency.

A report detailing South Tyneside Council's new communications strategy said new guidance has been provided to staff about when to "correct misinformation" online and when to "hide posts that contravene the guidance".

It said the council's e-newsletter and social media pages were its main communication platforms and had "significant followers and subscribers".

Labour council leader Tracey Dixon said the council monitored its own social media feeds but admitted there were challenges when dealing with external voices.

"It's very difficult to actually deal with others from outside the organisation," she said.

"But, when we can, we actually put the facts out there and make sure it is factual. We try and monitor it the best we possibly can within our channels, but obviously externally, it's very, very difficult."

The report also noted "managing the narrative on social media is not without its challenges", according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

It said its social media guidance had been developed to "challenge misinformation and managing unacceptable behaviour" and support staff using the channels.