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1. Parent Policy and Related Policies/Procedures

Fermilab Communications Policy

2. Purpose

The purpose of this procedure is to provide additional detail on the communications clearance processes for the Office of Communication and DOE. The procedure also covers details in terms of media visits to Fermilab, content approvals, presentations to broad audiences, media relations during a crisis or emergency, and social media engagement.

3. Applicability

This procedure applies to all Fermilab employees, users and affiliates.

4. Effective Date and Date Reviewed/Updated

This procedure went into effect on August 1, 2021.

5. Procedure

a. The Office of Communication has the primary responsibility for communicating and coordinating with media outlets and is a resource for Fermilab employees and Fermilab users in their media interactions. In this capacity, the Office of Communications responds to media inquiries, researches media outlets, obtains clearance as appropriate from FSO and DOE, prepares for interviews by coordinating with reporters/journalists, arranges site visits for journalists, performs fact-checking, conducts media training for Fermilab 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. Researchers should not represent Fermilab on matters of policy, budget, management, or national security unless coordinated with DOE.

b. For Fermilab employees and users, the preferred approach, and in cases outlined below the required approach, is to consult with the Office of Communication before speaking with the media or before providing content to media outlets as specified below and in Table A: Framework for obtaining clearance from the Office of Communication.

c. The Office of Communication in most cases is required to provide notification [for awareness only] to DOE and in specific cases obtain appropriate DOE clearance [explicit approval] prior to media interactions by employees and users as specified below in Table B: Framework for lab and site media coordination with DOE.

d. In all cases, media inquiries received are tracked in the DOE Dashboard. The DOE Dashboard provides an integrated view of all media inquiries across the entire lab complex.

e. The Office of Communication is responsible for populating the DOE Dashboard and coordinating all DOE advance notifications and clearances on behalf of Fermilab employees and users.

f. In addition to providing appropriate media review and clearance, DOE plays a key role in amplifying coverage when appropriate through DOE social channels.

Table A: Framework for obtaining clearance from the Office of Communication

Advance notice and approval by the Office of Communication and DOE is required before speaking with the media about the following:

media@fnal.gov

Programs (FRA, Fermilab, DOE or any other lab or agency), laboratory or government agreements, budgets or funding, legal matters, crisis matters, public health matters, or safety and security
Any Fermilab project that falls under DOE Order 413.3B
Photographs or recordings of non-public areas that have not been reviewed and approved. (See Policy on Photography and Videography of Technical Systems https://policies.fnal.gov/)

Advance notification to the Office of Communication and DOE is required before any communication with the media about the following:

media@fnal.gov

Details about the scientific/technical publications review are available at the following:

https://techpubs.fnal.gov/

Media stories in which Fermilab is likely to be specifically identified.
If advance notification is not possible (for example, if you are approached at a conference), you may speak with the reporter about your scientific work only and then notify the Office of Communication shortly thereafter. This enables DOE and Fermilab to have visibility to the potential coverage and amplify in our various media channels when appropriate. Should a reporter ask about a Fermilab topic for which you have limited expertise, please refer them to the Office of Communication at media@fnal.gov for prompt assistance.

Notification to the Office of Communication is not required (but is preferred) if speaking to the media and sharing your personal views about

Any topic that is not connected with a Fermilab project, experiment or initiative where you will not be identified as a Fermilab employee or user.
A topic that is your area of expertise where you are sharing your personal views. (We recognize in these cases individuals may be identified as Fermilab employees. While advance Office of Communication notification is not required, it is preferred. If this is not possible, it is requested that you notify the Office of Communication following the interview. Note, most media interactions are picked up in DOE and Office of Communication media analytics tools and are still captured in the DOE Dashboard even after an interview has occurred.
Your personal career journey (We recognize in these cases individuals are often identified as Fermilab employees. While advance notification is not required, it is preferred. If this is not possible, it is requested that you notify the Office of Communication following the interview. The Office of Communication will often amplify this media coverage in our various communication channels. Note, most media interactions are picked up in DOE and Office of Communication media analytics tools and still captured in the DOE Dashboard even after an interview has occurred.
Any photographs and recordings of public or non-public areas that have been reviewed and approved.
Again, even in cases where prior notification is not required, it is preferred. When in doubt, contact the Office of Communication, which can provide you with training and tips for effective media engagement. See below for contact information.

The Office of Communication can be contacted at media@fnal.gov.

Table B: Framework for lab and site media coordination with DOE

DOE Office of Science instructions to lab communications personnel: 03 Media Coordination Framework FINAL v2021: Framework for national laboratory and site media coordination with DOE

Principles: DOE is committed to communications policies that promote and maximize openness and transparency with the media and the American people. DOE policy supports the free flow of unclassified scientific information within the scientific community and between scientists and the public.¹ Researchers at national laboratories and DOE sites are free to discuss their published research and to make public comments within their areas of expertise. Sites should promote their role as good neighbors and highlight DOE and national laboratory systems’ roles in missions of national importance.

Limitations: While researchers may discuss scientific conclusions (the logical consequences of research), if a statement could be misunderstood as a DOE conclusion when it is a personal opinion, researchers should clearly communicate that it is a personal opinion. Researchers should not represent their lab or site on matters of policy, budget, management, or national security unless coordinated with DOE. In particular, DOE and NNSA have a vital interest in being consulted before public communications on research involving nuclear, radiological, chemical, or biological detection and counterterrorism; nuclear nonproliferation research and development; and work involving military applications.

Objective: The below framework (Table B) will provide consistent expectations and guidance across DOE offices, NNSA, national laboratories and other sites regarding how media inquiries are handled in the field and coordinated with DOE². Nothing in this document supersedes language in individual M&O contracts.

	Type of Media Interaction	Coordination Expected²	Additional Context/Justification
1.	Questions regarding public policy positions or proposed legislation	Refer to DOE.²	Prime contracts prohibit contractors from policy advocacy by national labs and sites.
2.	Questions regarding proposed congressional budget details and implications for a given site	Coordinate with DOE² before responding.	Responses perceived as advocacy are prohibited.
3.	Questions on federal investigative reports, including the Inspector General (IG), General Accounting Office (GAO), Accident Investigation Board (AIB) and Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board	Coordinate with DOE² before responding.	Lab and site responses to findings are published at the end of such reports. This enables Communications offices to point to official responses. Coordinate any new responses with DOE.
4.	Questions about operational issues (nonemergency accidents, employee benefits, new site requirements, etc.)	Notify DOE in the case of events or inquiries likely to receive media coverage outside a lab’s local market or attention from state/local government.	DOE interest will vary based on the significance of an event and the level of media interest (local or national).
5.	Questions during an emergency (industrial accident, natural disaster, crime, chemical or radiological release, etc.)	Follow approved DOE Emergency Public Information policies and procedures.	DOE order 151.1c specifies rapid response and dissemination of information per Emergency Public Information needs and requirements.
6.	Media tours, visits to labs and sites	Notify DOE in advance of visits by national media and proposed topic(s) for discussion.	Would this pertain to unrestricted areas only?
7.	Media interest in scientific capabilities, published research articles, engineering applications	Follow your lab/site’s guidelines for responding to inquiries about published science and areas of expertise. Notify DOE of interactions with national media or outlets likely to produce significant coverage, positive or negative when possible.
8.	Media interest at professional conferences	Follow lab/site guidelines; notify DOE of interactions with national media or outlets likely to produce significant coverage, positive or negative.	Lab/site public affairs offices may be notified after interviews at conferences take place.
9.	Media interest in scientific research funded by LDRD and/or work related to a strategic partnership	Follow lab/site guidelines; notify DOE of interactions with national media or outlets likely to produce significant coverage. positive or negative.
10.	Announcement or media inquiries on awards (new projects or funding) and recognitions of individuals, teams, or research projects	Follow media release guidance from the applicable DOE office (Science, NNSA, NE, EERE, etc.). Coordinate timing and DOE review of press materials when awards are from DOE. Otherwise, notification is a courtesy; no feedback required.	It is helpful to the laboratories and sites if HQ provides the Office of Communication with advance notice of awards to be given to lab/site researcher or staff member.
11.	Announcements of leadership changes	Coordinate with DOE when the announcement involves a new lab director or site manager.	M&O contractors generally issue releases for new directors and general managers in coordination with Lab PAOs.
12.	Events, announcements, or media inquiries under community involvement and community commitment plans	Notify DOE as a courtesy.	Many community initiatives are paid by M&O (nonallowable) costs. Prime contracts provide specifications for community commitment plans and ongoing local communication of such plans to ensure that DOE is perceived as a good neighbor.

¹ DOE P 411.2, Secretarial Policy Statement on Scientific Integrity, 6-2-2014

² The applicable DOE official may vary by item but generally refers to the specific laboratory’s DOE Site Office public affairs officer or the communications officer for the DOE office responsible for the specific laboratory (Science, EERE, NE, NNSA, etc.). Check relevant office for applicable guidance.

g. Media visits to Fermilab

All visits to Fermilab by members of the media (including journalists, reporters, bloggers, photographers and television crews) for any reason must be approved in advance by the Office of Communication. The Office of Communication can be contacted at media@fnal.gov.

Content provided to the media, including articles, photos and other materials intended for media usage or social media platforms

Written materials, images, or videos that reference scientific work, a project, experiment, or initiative being conducted at Fermilab intended for mass media distribution should be reviewed by the Office of Communication before being provided to the media/publication. Materials should be submitted to media@fnal.gov. This
does not include scientific and technical articles submitted to peer-reviewed journals or scientific materials submitted to a scientific archive or repository such as the arXiv. Refer to the technical publications policy https://techpubs.fnal.gov/ and process for review of scientific/technical publications. When in doubt, contact the Office of Communication for confirmation.

h. Presentations given to broad audiences that cover certain non-science-focused topics

Researchers should not represent Fermilab on matters of policy, budget, management, or national security unless coordinated with DOE. Any presentation at a scientific conference or other event with a broad external audience (e.g. beyond Fermilab, DOE, or an experiment collaboration) that intends to represent Fermilab and address DOE or federal policies, politics, laboratory, or government agreements, future or projected budgets or funding, legal matters, safety and security, or potentially controversial topics should be reviewed in advance by the Office of Communication and coordinated with DOE.

If there are questions about branding, copyright, content, or other topics, please contact the Office of Communication for consultation prior to the conference or event via media@fnal.gov or contact the head of the Office of Communication.

Presentations should not endorse any company, product, or service without prior approval from the Office of Communication and Office of General Counsel.

i. Media relations during crisis or emergency situations

During a crisis or emergency situation, all inquiries from members of the media must be directed to the Office of Communication.

j. Social Media Engagement

Social media is an important component of Fermilab’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, Twitter, LinkedIn, Snapchat, Instagram and YouTube.

Social media conducted by the Office of Communication on behalf of Fermilab

The Office of Communication is responsible for the content of Fermilab’s official social media channels.

l. Social media conducted by individual employees

Employees, users and affiliates are encouraged to like and share appropriate Fermilab-related information via their personal social media channels. Employees should be aware that they are ambassadors for FRA, Fermilab and DOE when interacting online.

Employees should add a personal disclaimer to their social media accounts making clear their opinions are their own. Example: Opinions are mine, not my employer’s.

It is expected that all personnel will conduct themselves with the highest standards of integrity and professionalism while following all related Fermilab policies and procedures when communicating via social media about the laboratory, its employees and its programs. Questions about proper laboratory-related conduct on social media can be directed to media@fnal.gov.

m. Social media during crisis and emergency situations

Employees, users and affiliates are not permitted to post any Fermilab-related crisis or emergency-related content (text, images, or videos). This applies to their personal social media accounts or to laboratory-owned social media accounts to which they have access aside from sharing or retweeting official Fermilab or emergency services social media posts. If there is a question, contact the Office of Communication at media@fnal.gov.

n. Social media conducted by Fermilab organizations and units

Fermilab recognizes that its organizations and sub-units may benefit from establishing their own social media accounts. Account owners are required to notify the Office of Communication at media@fnal.gov prior to establishing a laboratory-affiliated social media channel. The Office of Communication will provide guidance, subscribe to group channels and help amplify group messages as appropriate. New accounts should provide a clear benefit for the organization that existing methods cannot fulfill, and the organization must have an effective strategy in place to monitor and maintain the channel with fresh content and assign ownership to at least one person who will be responsible for regular posting and monitoring.

o. Social media and reporters

Requests from reporters received through social media channels must be handled according to the Fermilab Communications Policy and Fermilab Communications Procedure, Table B: Framework for obtaining clearance from the Office of Communication and Social Media Engagement including promptly notifying the Office of Communication at media@fnal.gov of these requests.

p. Social media, security and privacy

Employees, users and affiliates on social media should be security-conscious and understand their online privacy settings, including how much of their personal information is available. Employees, users and affiliates must always protect confidential laboratory-related information and respect other employees and their privacy when interacting online.

6. Definitions

For the purpose of this document, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory may be referred to as “Fermilab” or “laboratory.” Additionally, to make the policy easily understandable, although Fermilab is a place and not a legal entity or an employer, Fermi Research Alliance, LLC (FRA) employees are referred to as Fermilab employees.

7. Owner and Subject Matter Experts

The head of the Office of Communication is the owner of this procedure.

The head of the Office of Communication is responsible for reviewing, updating, and communicating changes to this procedure.

8. Review Cycle

This procedure shall be reviewed every 2 years.

9. Communication Plan

This procedure will be communicated by the Office of Communication to all employees, and periodic training shall be provided to Management System Owners and Chiefs/Division Heads/Section Heads/Project Directors. This procedure shall be available in the Fermilab policy database. The head of the Office of Communication is responsible for communication of this procedure.

Procedures for obtaining clearance from the Office of Communication and Social Media Engagement