Social Media Image Vetting Guidelines
What is the purpose of the image vetting process?
By having a vetting team review an image(s) to be used in AAAL promotional materials and make suggestions via synthesizing feedback from diverse perspectives, the image vetting process aims to evaluate the appropriateness of the image(s). Inappropriate image(s) refers to those that may evoke any potential conflicts.
What should be vetted?
Any type of images (e.g., photo, illustration, drawing, etc.) involving people that will be shared via AAAL social media platforms as well as the website.
Vetting should include not only images but all promotional material that the target image is being used (i.e., flyers). Hereafter, this guideline will use a term “image” to refer to both the target image and all the promotional materials involved.
What does the vetting process mean?
The vetting team will review the target images carefully to see any potential risk/issue that the image may impose by following the social media image vetting process (see item E. Criteria for vetting below.)
The result from the vetting team should be considered as a recommendation. The final decision will be made by EC.
Vetting Team
Standing Committee for Online Education and Outreach.
The vetting request is mostly expected to be the AAAL Business Office, more specifically from Hannah O'Dell, the Association and Community Coordinator of AAAL (hannah@aaal.org). Therefore, Hannah will have access to Google Drive for the image vetting (see below).
Vetting Process
When the vetting is necessary, Hannah will share the image(s) in the Google Drive folder (only accessible for the vetting team) by numbering each image.
The vetting team will carefully review the image and state their feedback in the excel sheet (only accessible for the vetting team) by stating “yes/no” to the target image.
Once vetting is completed, the final decisions “no” outnumber the “yes”, the final decision
Criteria for vetting
The image should align with the intended context and audience.
The image should not contain any hateful and/or derogatory speech and/or images that may cause harm to others.
The image should respect the privacy of those in the image. For example, the image with any identifiable information such as a name tag should be avoided.
The image should not contain any references that can possibly enhance stereotypes against groups or individuals
The image should not be a blend of images (e.g. two or more images not in the same photo/image/etc) since the way the images are placed can create an unintended message.
Disclaimer
A single image can have a limited capacity to portray diversity. While AAAL is carefully selecting images, there is a chance that the image may not fully reflect the diversity and fail to show the full story of the AAAL community. If there are any concerns regarding the image, please contact us. We welcome all voices and any insight from our members.
Suggestions for a long-term image vetting process
Depending on the frequency of the necessity of the vetting process, it may be more efficient to have an archive of pre-selected images, reviewed by the vetting team and EC on a regular basis (e.g, semi-annually). The images can be selected based on the semester/year-wide AAAL events and action items. Examples are:
- Conference (both on/offline)
- Webinar
- Online social gatherings
- Call for proposal
- Call for attention
- Save the date