It is the policy of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory that its scientific achievements and associated events and accomplishments are an important source of news for communicating the value, identity, and visibility of the Laboratory. This information is made available to the media and to internal and external audiences, including the general public, through the Communications Department (CD). Public information documents prepared for general audiences about or on behalf of the Laboratory should be developed in consultation with CD to maintain accuracy and coherence in representing the Laboratory.
Laboratory divisions and employees who identify items of potential public
interest should contact CD to discuss their prospective use for news or promotional
purposes. CD will propose appropriate vehicles for dissemination and prepare
the information materials accordingly. CD disseminates news about the Laboratory
to external audiences through press releases, the
annual report, other brochures/leaflets, and the World
Wide Web. Information to employees is furnished 
online through the Berkeley
Lab News Center and Today
at Berkeley Lab.
A specified clearance procedure is followed for press releases to ensure accuracy
and validity, including final approval by division directors and the Laboratory
Director.
Laboratory contacts with outside news media should be coordinated through CD, which handles most requests for information and interviews from the media, arranges special media events (i.e., press conferences, and photographic, TV, and radio coverage), and originates or coordinates media-related contacts for Laboratory activities. CD may arrange for media representatives to interview Laboratory staff directly, in which case a communications specialist may be present or may participate.
Laboratory staff who are independently approached by reporters should advise CD before the interview. Questions regarding the appropriateness or content of an interview, or requests to set up such an interview, should be forwarded to the Head of Communications. When employees give opinions as independent professionals, they must state clearly that they are speaking for themselves and not on behalf of the Laboratory or the University of California. Official statements to the media on behalf of the Laboratory as a whole should be developed in coordination with CD. The Head for Communications serves as the Laboratory spokesperson or coordinator for official public announcements.
Specialists from CD are also available to assist in preparation and training for news interviews, to assist with visual materials for public interest and Speakers Bureau presentations, and to review the design of general-interest publications.
Commercial firms serving the Laboratory often request permission to use the name of the Laboratory in promoting their products through, e.g., advertisements, brochures, and motion pictures. The Laboratory follows University and Department of Energy policies and California state law, which restrict such use. All such requests should be referred to the Associate Laboratory Director for Operations.
Companies that have licensed Laboratory intellectual property such as patented inventions, software, or biological materials sometimes make similar requests. Laboratory license agreements contain specific provisions governing a licensee's use of the Laboratory name. All such requests should be referred to the Head of Technology Transfer and Intellectual Property Management.
The photographs in the Laboratory's Image Library Web site may be downloaded for use by the news media or for educational or scientific purposes. For example, the Laboratory will provide prints or high-resolution digital versions of images to qualified publishers, such as textbook publishers. In all cases, published credit must be given to Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
These images may not be used for commercial purposes, except as referenced above. The Laboratory will consider and respond to written requests for specific usage. Queries regarding prints, permission, and acceptable usage of these images should be directed to CD. An on-line request form is available.
Visits on Laboratory official business are arranged by the host departments or divisions. The Reception Center must be informed of all guests.
The Laboratory hosts unofficial visits from educational, scientific, and technical groups. These may be arranged by individual departments or divisions. The Community Relations Office also arranges visits and tours for the general public, when requested. These visits must be scheduled and conducted in such a way that they do not interrupt Laboratory work.
Tours by colleges, universities, and other schools are scheduled through the Center for Science and Engineering Education and are conducted to minimize interference with Laboratory work. School groups are normally limited to junior and senior high school biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics classes, when arranged by the teacher or another school official.
Arrangements to show distinguished guests through the Laboratory are usually made by the Community Relations Office or by senior staff members. CD should be informed before the visits so it can plan for internal or external publicity, if appropriate.
Employees are permitted to guide small groups of relatives or friends (preferably not more than five) through the Laboratory as long as their visit will not interfere with employees' or Laboratory work. These visits should be scheduled on a weekend or holiday to minimize disturbance of Laboratory operations. It is preferable that children not be brought to the Laboratory. When this is not avoidable, however, the children must be kept with the party and under strict control.
Employees may not act or give the appearance of acting on behalf of the Laboratory or the University when communicating with state or federal officials unless they are authorized to do so.
When corresponding with state and federal officials, Laboratory employees may use Laboratory letterhead only when the writer is authorized to represent the Laboratory or the University of California. Letters expressing personal views must be written on personal stationery using non-Laboratory resources. If Laboratory letterhead is used for corresponding with principal state and federal officials (including Executive Branch appointees, members of Congress, the state legislature, and their staffs), copies of the correspondence must be sent to the appropriate division director and the Head of Public Affairs.
When employees give opinions as independent professionals, they must state clearly that they are speaking for themselves and not on behalf of the Laboratory or the University of California. See also Paragraph (A), above.