The Postal Service wants employees to follow proper procedures when interacting with the news media.
If an employee is contacted by a reporter or another member of the media, the employee should refer the individual to his or her supervisor or manager.
The employee can also direct the reporter to the USPS Newsroom website, which has a list of media representatives whose jobs are to answer questions from the press.
Additionally, the Postal Service wants employees to take care when answering questions from customers, who could share the information with the press.
It’s particularly important for employees to keep these guidelines in mind during the coronavirus pandemic. USPS is providing an essential public service during this crisis, and the organization wants to ensure customers have accurate information about its work.
Detailed guidance on responding to the news media is available in the Administrative Support Manual (Chapter 3, section 332.41).
USPS recently distributed a stand-up talk that explains the guidelines.
