An error resulted in the sharing of inappropriate content on a social media platform maintained by the Webster Parish Convention and Visitors’ Bureau Monday night.
A video depicting adult content with nudity went live on the Bureau’s Instagram account at around 10 p.m. and sent notifications to followers. The account was public at the time of the live feature and has since been changed to private.
CVB Executive Director Lynn Dorsey, 61, was unaware the video was being fed live to the Instagram account until she was notified by the Press-Herald just after 10:30 p.m.
“It was a horrible, honest mistake,” Dorsey said. “I am mortified. I would never send that type of content out intentionally. It was a very private message for my husband; it was a brand new phone and a new Instagram feature. I am a new Instagram user, and unfortunately I pressed the wrong button.”
Dorsey posted the video via a Bureau-purchased iPhone 7 from a hotel room in Baton Rouge where she is conducting business relative to tourism.
“At this time, if there has been some type of infraction, I am unaware of the details,” Jerry Madden, chairman for the Webster CVB said. “We do not currently have a social media policy in place, because it was a recognized need at that time. I’m sure that we will consider adopting new policies as we consider our next steps.”
When notified of the accidental posting, Dorsey said she immediately contacted the Bureau’s social media contractor to review its accounts to insure no inappropriate content was being displayed.
Instagram Live is a new feature, similar to that of Facebook Live, which allows users to stream live video footage via the social media platform. When a user “goes live,” the followers of the account may receive a push notification announcing the live feed, according to the Instagram website. Once a live video has ended, it is no longer visible on the platform.
The phone was purchased in November for approximately $700 – which was within the Bureau’s budget – with the understanding that Dorsey would use it for marketing tourism in Webster Parish.