Public Affairs Publication Policy
The Amstat Online WebMaster and Amstat Online Editor have front-line
responsibilities to the ASA "public" with respect to the Internet and
other electronic media. They may be the point of first contact or may
be contacted by other ASA staff with requests for immediate response
to news items that involve science in public affairs. Their
responsibility is for the integrity (WebMaster) and intellectual
content (Editor) of www.amstat.org, rather than for public
affairs. This document clarifies Public Affairs Publication Policy as
it pertains to the Internet presence of ASA. To this end, it is
important to distinguish among the three types of items:
News items that are re-channeled from other sources or written under the
auspices of the ASA Office of Public Affairs need to be approved by
the
Public Affairs Coordinator
and the Executive Director. Advice or assistance may be
sought from others, but the presidents need not approve items that are purely
news. (The winning of an award by an ASA member, the death of a prominent ASA
member, or a paper from an ASA publication being cited by the media are
examples of such news items. The reporting of the results of an AIDS research
project would also be news.) News releases are typically reported in
the Press Room, possibly
with a highlight on the home page.
Opinion pieces are now handled through the Op-Ed Editor, with a Steering
Committee (a subcommittee of the Scientific and Public Affairs Advisory
Committee) appointed to guide the process and approve items before their
release. During the phase-in period for this process, the three presidents
must also approve op-ed pieces prior to their release. Such pieces are to be
clearly marked as being the opinion of the author, and not necessarily that of
ASA. (Opinions on adjusted Census counts or on ethical issues posed by AIDS
research would fit into this category.) Op-Ed pieces will generally
appear on the Op-Ed Page.
An official ASA policy statement must have the approval of the three
presidents, according to policy passed by the Board of Directors. (Support
for certain bills pending before Congress could come under this category.)