Policy on Communications
COMM - KB0013516
1. Purpose
Communicating science to the public is an important part of Fermilab's mission. This goal is advanced by the many scientists, engineers and other FermiForward staff, users and affiliates who have chosen to engage with members of the public, including the press. This activity is encouraged and supported by lab management, who recognize the importance of these efforts. This policy establishes requirements, guidelines, roles and responsibilities for communicating laboratory-related information to the public or when using a Fermilab affiliation when speaking to external, non-scientific groups.
This policy is not a contract and is not intended to create any obligations on Fermi Forward Discovery Group (FermiForward). This policy may be terminated or changed by FermiForward at any time, with or without notice.
2. Scope
This policy applies to FermiForward employees, users and affiliates engaged in written or verbal communications with:
- the public, via media outlets and interactions with members of the media
- the public, via social media tools, technologies and platforms, including but not limited to X/Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Snapchat, Instagram and YouTube when speaking on behalf of Fermilab or on Fermilab specific topics.
- members of local and regional communities
- the public, employees, users and affiliates during times of crisis
- the public, employees, users and affiliates in the context of political activity
- other FermiForward employees, users, affiliates and professional colleagues both internally at Fermilab and externally at meetings and conferences
3. Applicability
This policy applies to all FermiForward employees, users and affiliates.
4. Effective Date and Date Reviewed/Updated
This policy went into effect on January 1, 2025, and the latest update is effective August 13, 2025.
5. Policy
All employees, users and affiliates are encouraged to communicate with the media and public about the scientific and technological dimensions of their work in an objective and nonpartisan fashion while ensuring full compliance with limits on disclosure of proprietary, export-controlled and classified information. When carrying out communication activities, employees, users and affiliates are expected to conduct themselves to the highest standards of integrity and follow all related DOE requirements and FermiForward policies and procedures. As stated in the DOE Policy on Scientific Integrity, all scientists, engineers and others supported by DOE are free and encouraged to share their scientific findings and views. These personnel are also free to share their personal views and opinions on scientific or technical-related policy matters, provided they do not attribute these views to Fermilab, DOE or the U.S. government, and follow applicable law.
The following sections describe specific guidelines and requirements for communication by Fermilab.
Employees/users/affiliates acting on behalf of the laboratory with:
a) Interactions with members of the media and communications to the public via general/mass media outlets
b) Publishing or announcing scientific results
c) Social media
d) Website communications and governance for Fermilab's web presence
e) Community relations, including members of local and regional communities
f) Crisis communications for employees, users and the public as appropriate
g) Political activity by employees
h) Colleagues and peers, both at the laboratory and in external venues such as conferences and in collaboration activities
i) Listservs and email groups
j) Guidelines for artificial intelligence in communications
a. Interactions with members of the media and communications to the public via general/mass media outlets
FermiForward shall be forthcoming, accurate and timely when communicating information to the public through mass media. Mass media includes any publication or technology that distributes news or other information for a broad audience, including but not limited to print and online newspapers, magazines, blogs and other types of publications; television, radio and video programs, including those hosted online; podcasts and other recordings; and social media platforms operated by a mass media company.
All communication coordination with the media must be done in coordination with the Communication Division. In this capacity, the Communication Division responds to media inquiries, researches media outlets, obtains clearance as appropriate from DOE, prepares for interviews by coordinating with reporters/journalists, arranges site visits for journalists, performs fact-checking, conducts media training for FermiForward employees and spokespersons, prepares talking points, coordinates and attends media interviews as requested, conducts post-interview follow-up, amplifies media coverage through Fermilab channels and provides media performance metrics.
The procedure of obtaining approval for interactions or conversations with any external media or journalists is available in the Procedures for obtaining clearance from the Office of Communication and Social Media Engagement. The procedure also defines the requirement for the Communication Division to provide notification to DOE and in specific cases obtain appropriate DOE clearance (explicit approval) prior to media interactions by employees and users.
This procedure also covers greater detail in terms of media visits to Fermilab, content approvals, presentations to broad audiences, media relations during a crisis or emergency, and social media engagement.
b. Publishing or announcing scientific results
FermiForward employees shall inform the Communication Division of any planned publication or announcement of significant scientific results involving Fermilab-hosted experiments or FermiForward scientists, as soon as possible (at least 2-3 months is preferred to coordinate communications and obtain approvals) prior to the release of the publication or announcement of the significant results. This advance notice is not intended as a review of the scientific paper or results, but rather to prepare for and provide appropriate publicity of those significant results at the time they are announced or publicized.
c. Social media
Social media is an important component of FermiForward's communication strategy. Our purpose is to share the laboratory's and our fellow collaborators' latest news, attract future talent, foster a love of science and physics, educate the public, and join a global scientific and technological conversation in an engaging and transparent fashion. Social media platforms include (but are not limited to) Facebook, X/Twitter, LinkedIn, Snapchat, Instagram and YouTube. The Communication Division is responsible for the content of Fermilab's official social media channels.
d. Website communications and governance for Fermilab's web presence
The FermiForward Policy on Web Governance includes the minimum requirements website owners must meet in order to make content accessible via the Fermilab web presence. The policy covers all web accessible information in the fnal.gov domain and/or hosted on servers within the Fermilab network. For questions regarding web governance or this policy, contact the Communication Division at ocweb@fnal.gov.
e. Community relations, including members of local and regional communities
All employees, users and affiliates are encouraged to effectively communicate appropriate information about the laboratory to their friends, neighbors and communities, within the guidelines set forth in FermiForward policies. The Office of Education and Public Engagement, working with the Communication Division, maintains the primary responsibility for community relations, including developing a full program of activities to keep members of the laboratory's local and regional communities informed and solicit citizen feedback and input.
All comments or complaints from the public or other stakeholders that raise issues that could reflect on Fermilab’s reputation shall be forwarded to Director of the Communication Division with information on the nature of the comment or complaint and, if available, contact information for the person providing the feedback.
All employees, users and affiliates are expected to follow the Fermilab Statement of Community Standards when engaging with co-workers, sharing information and contributing to discussions at meetings and via other information exchanges. The Communication Division has the primary responsibility for disseminating relevant laboratory-related information for employees, users and affiliates via the most appropriate channels.
f. Crisis communications for employees, users and the public as appropriate
FermiForward’s policy is to make accurate information available as soon as possible during potentially life- and operations-threatening situations. The Communication Division has the primary responsibility for communicating crisis-related information to members of the public, including news media. All inquiries from members of the media must be directed to the Communication Division at media@fnal.gov during a crisis or emergency situation.
Employees, users and affiliates are not allowed to post any crisis- or emergency-related content (text, images or videos) to their personal or laboratory-owned social media accounts aside from sharing official Fermilab all-hands messages or emergency services posts.
Depending on the type of crisis or emergency situation, employees, users and affiliates on-site will be informed of the situation and actions to take via the emergency messaging system and/or the sitewide emergency warning system. Employees, users and affiliates who are off-site will be notified via the emergency messaging system. It is the responsibility of all on-site employees, users and affiliates to maintain up-to-date emergency messaging contact information in FermiWorks.
g. Political activity by employees
FermiForward employees, users and affiliates who engage in political activities must not use their Fermilab affiliation as a credential, present themselves as representatives of Fermi Forward Discovery Group or the laboratory, or use government property while participating in the activities. Examples of prohibited activities include but are not limited to signing a campaign letter with one's Fermilab affiliation and sending a lobbying letter to a member of Congress on Fermilab letterhead, from a Fermilab email account or from a government computer.
All visits to the Fermilab site by elected officials or political candidates are subject to DOE regulations and must be coordinated in advance through the Office of the Director, which will work with the relevant Fermilab offices. The Policy on Interactions with Government Officials details the guidelines and requirements for interactions with and visits to the Fermilab site by government officials, including elected officials.
h. Colleagues and peers, both at the laboratory and in external venues such as conferences and in collaboration activities
Fermilab employees, users and affiliates are expected to conduct themselves with the highest level of professional integrity and to follow all related FermiForward policies and procedures when communicating with colleagues and peers, both at the laboratory and in external venues such as conferences and in collaboration activities. Employees, users and affiliates are expected to adhere to the Fermilab Statement of Community Standards.
All posters that employees, users and affiliates wish to display in a common area at Fermilab to advertise an event, group or activity must be approved by the Communication Division. Requests can be done in person or sent to news@fnal.gov.
In addition to following laboratory-wide policies (including Policy on Export Control, the Policy on Science Technology Risk Matrix Protection, the Intellectual Property Policy and other policies identified in Section 8 that cover data, technology and information sharing) and respecting proprietary information and copyrights, FermiForward’s employees, users and affiliates should follow all processes, procedures and guidelines established by their work groups, managers or supervisors regarding work-related professional and technical communication.
The Policy on Photography and Videography of Technical Systems addresses photography and videography of technology on site at Fermilab in public and non-public areas. Employees, users and affiliates who are members of scientific collaborations must also follow those organization rules and bylaws regarding public discussion of scientific results and other code of conduct policies. The Technical Publications office manages the scientific/technical publications review process and the DOE requirements for sharing and publishing scientific and technical information. All FermiForward employees, users and affiliates reporting work done using Fermilab facilities must submit scientific/technical publications for review by requesting a report number or contacting Technical Publications (630-840-5693, techpubs@fnal.gov). These publications include theses, preprints intended for publication in peer-reviewed journals, conference reports, technical memos and short papers not intended for journals or conferences and poster and presentations.
i. Listservs and email groups
Fermilab listservs and email groups are not to be used for personal communications.
j. Guidelines for artificial intelligence in communications
The use of any generative artificial intelligence tools in external communication must be disclosed to the Communication Division prior to publication. Written content derived from generative AI tools must be edited for originality, grammar and clarity and checked for accuracy, plagiarism, bias and brand consistency. Images generated using AI shall not be shared in Fermilab any communication materials (including but not limited to webpages, social media and publications) to ensure that the lab remains a source of accuracy.
6. Definitions
Fermilab is the physical site and property that is the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory.
Fermi Forward Discovery Group, LLC is the operator and manager of the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory under Department of Energy Prime Contract No. 89243024CSC000002 and is the principal employer of personnel working at Fermilab.
7. Responsibilities
While this policy applies to all FermiForward employees, users and affiliates, there are additional responsibilities for the following individuals and groups:
The Director of the Communication Division is responsible and accountable for all laboratory-related communication activities, overall reputational management and for developing and carrying out an overall strategic plan for lab communications.
The Head of the Office of Education and Public Engagement is responsible and accountable for community relations, working with the Communication Division.
The Fermilab leadership team is committed to a coordinated and consistent approach to communicating laboratory messages, both internally and externally. This commitment requires including Communication Division staff in the planning processes of the laboratory as well as in ongoing operational activities. Leadership also ensures that communication activities and costs are integrated into the laboratory's overall planning and budgeting processes.
Managers and supervisors are expected to regularly and effectively communicate laboratory-related information to their departments, as well as to maintain open and inviting channels for staff to communicate with them.
Employees, users and affiliates are expected to regularly and effectively communicate with their co-workers and supervisors, consistent with the Fermilab Statement of Community Standards and to actively inform themselves of lab-related news and information.
8. Authorities
Prime Contract No. 89243024CSC000002
Section C Clauses C.3(c) (LABORATORY STEWARDSHIP)
Section I Clauses I.8 (LIMITATION ON PAYMENTS TO INFLUENCE CERTAIN FEDERAL TRANSACTIONS), I.115 (PUBLIC AFFAIRS)
9. Owner
The Director of the Communication Division is the owner of this policy.
10. Review Cycle
This policy shall be reviewed every 2 years.
11. Communication Plan
The requirements of this policy shall be communicated by the Communication Division to all employees, users and affiliates, and periodic training shall be provided to Management System Owners and Chiefs/Division Heads/Project Directors. This policy shall be available on the Fermilab Policies Website. The Director of the Communication Division is responsible for the communication of this policy.
Revision History
|
M&O |
Author |
Description of Change |
Revision Date |
|
FFDG |
R. Moss |
Policy update; inclusion of social media, artificial intelligence and use of logo information. |
August 2025 |
|
FFDG |
A. Campbell |
FFDG adopted policy. |
January 2025 |
|
FRA |
Comms |
Policy update |
October 2023 |
|
FRA |
Comms |
Policy update. |
August 2021 |
|
FRA |
Comms |
Policy update. |
July 2019 |
|
FRA |
Comms |
Release date. |
October 2015 |