HEADLINE: East Ridge Facebook use attracts criticism
THE RECAP: East Ridge City Manager Tim Gobble is under fire for his frequent and questionable posts on the city’s Facebook page.
The East Ridge Facebook page typically is updated multiple times a day. Several recent posts have gone beyond the types of safety alerts and council meeting schedules that are common to city Facebook pages.
For example, Gobble – posting as the city – criticized the municipal court clerk and put up an editorial defending his actions in a spat over a court case involving his daughter. Gobble also posted a number of Facebook updates speaking as Oreo, the pet goat that was voted out of East Ridge by the city council. Numerous personal photos of Gobble also appear on the site.
DREW’S VIEW: Facebook plays a useful role for cities and towns by allowing them to quickly and cheaply disseminate information to residents. If, for example, a town is holding a festival, the local animal shelter has picked up a lost dog or there’s road construction that may impact residents’ commutes home, Facebook can be a valuable resource to give folks a heads-up.