Roger-Luc Chayer (Image: AI – Gay Globe)
In a few recent conversations with members of my Facebook groups, I was asked whether it was easy and simple to administer a Facebook group page, as well as the methods I use not only to manage unwanted messages or conflicts but also to keep the group dynamic and engaging.
First, I should inform readers that I am currently the administrator of seven Facebook groups. The first is related to the Gay Globe store, the second concerns the neighborhood life in the alley behind my residence, another is dedicated to my mother’s side of the family, another for Holton horn players, one for the Montreal Village, another for the LGBTQ+ community in France, and finally, one for the LGBTQ+ community in Belgium. I am therefore responsible for the smooth operation and interactions of nearly 34,178 people to date.
Content Management
When you become the administrator of a Facebook group, whether by creating a new group or taking over an existing one, it is essential to implement measures aimed at automating membership approvals and content management, such as posts and comments. Without these measures, anyone could post anything in any manner, which could lead to disastrous consequences and harm the group’s popularity or engagement—something we obviously want to avoid.
These automatic measures allow you to accept new members based on various criteria, such as their country of origin, the relevance to the group’s objectives, and the right to comment, among others. These automations are not always easy to set up, as they require a good understanding of Facebook groups’ mechanics to be effective. However, with experience, it becomes more manageable.
It is crucial, from the very first steps of a new administrator in an existing group, to thoroughly clean up the member list and remove anything irrelevant: fake profiles trying to scam regular members, profiles without a photo or history, which are like ghosts with unknown objectives, or profiles that no longer exist. We must not forget that Facebook takes the proper management of groups into account when ranking them in search results.
Conflict Management
Inevitably, when the general public is allowed to post online, conflicts arise, often on a daily basis. Sometimes, these conflicts stem from debates that become too intense, and other times, the administrator is directly targeted due to the presence of certain posts or opinions in the group. These situations require a great deal of open-mindedness, total transparency, and a sense of restraint that is often tested.
In my case, I frequently post journalistic content on topics that concern the community at large. Although the reactions are almost always constructive and positive, there are times when they become unpleasant, and I am personally attacked. This recently happened on a page for a group dedicated to residents of Montreal’s Gay Village, after I published an article about the situation at Place du Village.
Two members questioned my status as a journalist, claiming that since I was not a member of the Fédération professionnelle des journalistes du Québec (FPJQ), I was therefore a « fake journalist. » After informing these members that joining a union or journalist association in Quebec is not mandatory due to the right to absolute journalistic independence, and after directing them to the FPJQ’s media directory, which recognizes the existence of Gay Globe, the debate subsided, although a few intrusive comments lingered. This is just one example among many of the situations I manage on a weekly basis.
What Are the Recommended Tools for Managing a Facebook Group?
First of all, administrators come from various walks of life, with experiences as diverse as they are colorful. Regardless of the Facebook group, as long as an administrator takes their role seriously, things generally run smoothly. Unfortunately, there are instances where some administrators feel they own the ideas and opinions of the group members, becoming overly interventionist in steering the debate or pushing a particular agenda, often disregarding the opinions of the members. Such groups only benefit a few individuals and quickly become unpopular once members realize they are being manipulated.
In my case, to ensure that the groups I manage don’t become tools serving only my own opinions, I rely on common sense and sound judgment. For instance, if a member advertises prostitution services or if someone is clearly a scammer looking to exploit gullible people, I act quickly to remove their access. It’s important to note that thanks to the automated processes in place for membership approval, 99% of these individuals don’t even make it past the filters and are automatically rejected by Facebook without any intervention on my part.
When it comes to crisis management, which occasionally arises, I often draw on my ethics and experience as a journalist to defuse situations, much like conducting an interview with conflicting parties or as I do when overseeing content as the editor-in-chief of Gay Globe.
The ethical guidelines of the FPJQ (Fédération professionnelle des journalistes du Québec) and those of the Quebec Press Council are incredibly helpful in managing most situations. When a crisis becomes unmanageable due to the bad faith of the parties involved (which happens at times), after three warnings about the quality of the exchanges, respect, and courtesy, I block access for the individuals concerned. They can no longer post, comment, or even view the group. Sometimes, this is the only viable solution in dealing with the hostility that can arise from the anonymity of the web.
What are your thoughts on this matter?