British Standards recently issued a policy statement to assist Committee Chairmen and Member to deal appropriately with media enquiries. The policy is given below:
STANDARDIZATION POLICY STATEMENT
MEDIA ENQUIRIES
1. POLICY STATEMENT
The following policy is intended to assist BSI committee chairmen, committee members and staff to deal appropriately with the confidential information they are privy to through their position.
The policy relates to all media enquiries from print, broadcast or online news sources.
2. BACKGROUND
BSI and its standards can generate a lot of media interest. This policy is designed to protect both BSI and those involved in the standards making process.
- Formulate and provide approval of all quotes and responses to media.
- Provide non-attributable quotes to media.
- Confirm accuracy of information before responding to media requests.
- Request comment, technical assistance or written material from BSI staff or committee chairmen as necessary.
- Advise standards development staff of any media enquiry or response relating to a committee/standard they are responsible for.
- Get prior approval from any individual they wish to quote in media materials.
3. GUIDANCE
3.1 General
All media enquiries should be passed immediately to the British Standards press office bsmedia@bsi-global.com or 020 8996 7248.
The names of individuals sitting on a committee are confidential and cannot be disclosed to any outside party.
The names of companies/associations involved in a committee can be made public.
All committee details and activities (other than the names of member companies/bodies/associations) are confidential and cannot be disclosed.
The occurrence of a meeting may be discussed but details of what was discussed at the meeting cannot be disclosed.
All meeting details and discussions are confidential and cannot be disclosed.
3.2 For committee chairmen
No committee chairman should respond to a media enquiry or author an article representing themselves as a chairman or committee member, without the prior knowledge and approval of British Standards press office.
Committee chairmen can be named and quoted in the media as a chairman or member of a committee, providing both the British Standards press office and the chairmen have given prior approval.
Quotes from the Chairman can be provided in relation to a standard or the committee they are responsible for (providing British Standards press office has given prior approval for comment to come from the Chairman). These should not be of a personal nature. In relation to standards, any points/issues relating to a standard unresolved at the time of comment, may not be commented on.
Any quote from or article authored by the Chairman without British Standards press office prior knowledge and approval should be done so in a personal capacity and make no reference to their position as a BSI committee chairman/member or make specific reference to a standard they have been involved with that would otherwise not be public knowledge.
Committee chairmen cannot provide quotes to the media giving BSI's position on any issue or standard.
3.3 For committee members
Committee members cannot provide quotes in relation to a committee they sit on or to a standard they have been involved in developing. All quotes should come from committee chairmen or BSI officials.
Committee members cannot provide quotes to the media giving BSI's position on any issue or standard.
Committee members will not and cannot be named or quoted as such in public arenas.
Any quote from or article authored by the committee member without British Standards press office prior knowledge and approval should be done so in a personal capacity and make no reference to their position as a BSI committee chairman/member or make specific reference to a standard they have been involved with that would otherwise not be public knowledge.
3.4 For BSI standards development staff
Staff who have worked on a particular standard or work programme can provide a comment from BSI if authorized in advance by the British Standards press office.
Staff might be asked to comment on behalf of BSI by the press office.
If asked by the press office staff should be available to assist with drafting articles or media materials of a technical nature.
If asked by the press office staff should be available to help check the accuracy of any information with the Committee Chairman to assist with responding to media enquiries.
