News Media Policy

Fostering good relations with the news media and providing for a free flow of public information is vital to the Asia-Pacific Center’s programs and to our conference co-sponsors, speakers and presenters and to our participants as well.  We work with our co-sponsors to ensure we jointly support good relations with the media and make relevant information available to the public while preserving the Center’s policy of non-attribution in conference sessions.

• By their very nature, conferences and seminars are not public forums. We believe private sessions encourage participants to freely discuss issues and to engage in active problem solving. Therefore the Asia-Pacific Center maintains a standing policy of non-attribution for its conferences, courses, and seminars.
• News media opportunities (including press conferences, interviews, photo opportunities) will be held during the conference only at the discretion of the APCSS Conference Director, concurrence of the sponsors, and the approval of involved dignitaries and speakers. The Asia-Pacific Center Public Affairs Office coordinates news media invitations, accreditation procedures, and the establishment of ground rules and escort.
• Unless specifically announced beforehand, no conference sessions will be made available to the civilian news media “on the record.” Normally, no participant may be quoted by name, rank or title concerning comments he or she has made during a conference session. No quotes obtained from sessions may be used by the news media without permission of the speaker. News media reps may only use information gained during attendance of seminars to improve their knowledge of the issues and to help them frame questions they may wish to ask during any interviews arranged separately.
• Arrangements may be made for civilian news media to unobtrusively visit individual conference sessions, provided both co-sponsors and any speakers presenting at that time concur. News media representatives may not be permitted to attend an entire conference or seminar under the guise of “providing coverage.” News media may not ask questions of participants or speakers during conference sessions. Interviews are only permitted during breaks and at other times that do not disrupt conduct of the conference itself, and must be coordinated in advance with the PAO.
• Under no circumstances will reporters be permitted into a conference with cellular telephones, pagers or other electronic devices that could potentially distract participants. Videotaping and photographs, except of introductory or closing sessions are generally not permitted, for the same reasons, unless coordinated in advance with the PAO.
• The Asia-Pacific Center reserves the right to refuse entry to reporters arriving without prior coordination with the PAO staff or without proper credentials.