[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 14, Volume 5]
[Revised as of January 1, 2007]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 14CFR1213.105]

[Page 91]
 
                     TITLE 14--AERONAUTICS AND SPACE
 
                   CHAPTER V--NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND
                          SPACE ADMINISTRATION
 
PART 1213_RELEASE OF INFORMATION TO NEWS AND INFORMATION MEDIA--Table of Contents
 
Sec.  1213.105  Interviews.

    (a) Only spokespersons designated by the Assistant Administrator for 
Public Affairs, or his/her designee, are authorized to speak for the 
Agency in an official capacity regarding NASA policy, programmatic, and 
budget issues.
    (b) In response to media interview requests, NASA will offer 
articulate and knowledgeable spokespersons who can best serve the needs 
of the media and the American public. However, journalists may have 
access to the NASA officials they seek to interview, provided those NASA 
officials agree to be interviewed.
    (c) NASA employees may speak to the media and the public about their 
work. When doing so, employees shall notify their immediate supervisor 
and coordinate with their public affairs office in advance of interviews 
whenever possible, or immediately thereafter, and are encouraged, to the 
maximum extent practicable, to have a Public Affairs Officer present 
during interviews. If Public Affairs Officers are present, their role 
will be to attest to the content of the interview, support the 
interviewee, and provide post-interview follow up with the media, as 
necessary.
    (d) NASA, as an Agency, does not take a position on any scientific 
conclusions. That is the role of the broad scientific community and the 
nature of the scientific process. NASA scientists may draw conclusions 
and may, consistent with this policy, communicate those conclusions to 
the media. However, NASA employees who present personal views outside 
their official area of expertise or responsibility must make clear that 
they are presenting their individual views--not the views of the 
Agency--and ask that they be sourced as such.
    (e) Appropriated funds may only be used to support Agency missions 
and objectives consistent with legislative or presidential direction. 
Government funds shall not be used for media interviews or other 
communication activities that go beyond the scope of Agency 
responsibilities and/or an employee's official area of expertise or 
responsibility.
    (f) Media interviews will be ``on-the-record'' and attributable to 
the person making the remarks, unless the interviewee is authorized to 
do otherwise by the Assistant Administrator for Public Affairs or Center 
Public Affairs Director, or their designees. Any NASA employee providing 
material to the press will identify himself/herself as the source.
    (g) Audio recordings may be made by NASA with consent of the 
interviewee.
    (h) NASA employees are not required to speak to the media.
    (i) Public information volunteered by a NASA official will not be 
considered exclusive to any one media source and will be made available 
to other sources, if requested.