From the outset, CBS has adhered to the basic principle that news personnel must be free of obligations to any interest other than the interest of the public. Since credibility is essential to every news organization, the employees of CBS News must conduct themselves not only so as to avoid compromising their Journalistic independence and integrity, but also so as to avoid the appearance of such compromise. It is recognized that specific guidelines cannot anticipate and cover all possible circumstances, distinctions and shadings in this complex area. And it is not intended that the guidelines inhibit employees to the point of foolishness such as, for example, refusal of a cup of coffee or anything equally insignificant. But the basic concept the guidelines seek to implement is clear: Employees may accept no favor, overt or otherwise, which can compromise their roles as newspersons or give the appearance of doing so. Questions as to the meaning or application of the guidelines must be resolved by employees with their supervisor.

Guidelines - Company-related Circumstances

• During the course of, or in connection with, a news assignment or the performance of any other news or news-related duty, employees shall not accept free transportation, accommodations, services or gifts (other than routine gifts of insignificant value). Business meals may be accepted, however, on an occasional and reasonable basis, if (i) the primary purpose of such meals is the maintenance of important news contacts or the eliciting of news information
  or background, and (ii) the situation is such that any effort by the employee to pay for the meal would be awkward.
  
  
• If transportation is necessary for the performance of a news assignment or a news or news-related duty, public carriers, and not private carriers, should be used. But, in those circumstances where private carriers must be used because public carriers are not feasible (such as, for example, sharing space with the President and his staff in a Presidential plane during coverage of a Presidential trip), the employee should arrange for prompt payment to the private carriers of a sum equivalent to the commercial rate for the route traveled.
  
  
• There may be circumstances, however, where equivalent commercial rates are non-existent and non-ascertainable, e.g., a flight to an aircraft carrier or participation in a newsworthy demonstration trip of a prototype aircraft, train or other vehicle. In these circumstances, the limited free transportation involved may be accepted.

Guidelines - Non-Company-related Circumstances

• In general, personnel in their personal non-company-related activities should be guided by a vigilant awareness of their own responsibilities as journalists. Such awareness should include not only their own perception of a potential conflict of interest and potential diminution of their, and their organization's, integrity, but also the potential perceptions of others.
  
  
• Since it is not unusual for news personnel to have social relationships with the people concerning whom they report, or are reasonably likely to report, nothing in these guidelines should be construed to inhibit the normal and reasonable exchanges of social amenities. But the primary relationship between host and news personnel guest must genuinely be social and personal. If the news guest has any reason to believe that the host is acting in his (or her) business or professional, rather than personal, capacity, or that the host's employer or client is picking up the tab, he (or she) cannot accept any free meals, lodging, transportation, or other things. For whenever the relationship crosses over from social to business, the standards described elsewhere in these guidelines should be observed. If there is any doubt as to where social and business meet, the news personnel must assume that it is not genuinely social.
  
  
• Since correspondents and other news personnel may be in demand for appearances as lecturers, they may accept (but not from any governmental source) transportation, accommodations and a normal fee provided such considerations are given for legitimate services rendered (i.e., a lecture, panel appearance or discussion program with an audience). However, acceptance of transportation, accommodations or any other consideration for an appearance at a function or event where no such service is rendered is not permissible, since it constitutes an endorsement (implied or otherwise) of the event or the payer.
  
  
• If the nature of the sponsoring group or the timing of the invitation in any way suggests that the lecture invitation is designed to impress the nevsperson with the group for Its own purposes--a suggestion that implies a subtle means of Influencing the newsperson --the invitation should not be accepted. The newsperson should recognize that groups or individuals seeking favors are not limited to governmental or business entities but also others who have Interests in what news is reported. So called "do good" groups wish to influence news coverage as much as more obviously involved organizations.
  
  
• Participation in seminars or academic meetings should be measured as carefully as invitations to lecture. It is one thing for individuals and groups to want to share a newsperson's expertise but it is another for them to want the newsperson to share their point of view.
  
  
• No discounts of value, such as the so-called "press" or "promotional" discounts on automobiles, may be accepted from the manufacturer or distributor (except the retail discounts normally available to the general public).

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