By agreeing to the embargo rules and taking the embargoed material into possession, media representatives are committing to the terms of the embargo not only on their own behalf, but also on behalf of the organization they represent.
Embargo rules
- Only media representatives who have agreed to the embargo rules will receive the embargoed materials and have access to a specified media briefing and/or embargoed event. This includes photographers, videographers and any technical support personnel.
- No coverage of any aspect of the embargoed event or information contained in the embargoed material can appear in the media, including the internet and social media (e.g., Twitter, Facebook, etc.), at any time during the period of the embargo.
- Media representatives are not allowed to discuss the contents of the embargoed materials with anyone other than authorized Government of Alberta officials prior to the lifting of the embargo. This includes any Minister or MLA, any member of any MLA’s staff, any employee of any Government of Alberta department, any member of the public, or any other person not explicitly authorized to discuss the updates before the embargo is lifted.
- Government officials authorized to discuss the embargoed materials will be clearly identified in a subsequent email from the Government of Alberta.
- Those participating in the embargo may not share or discuss the contents of the embargoed materials with anyone who has not completed an embargo agreement. This includes publishers, editors, producers, or co-workers within the reporter’s own organization.
- All copies, including electronic copies of embargoed materials, must be kept confidential and must not be forwarded in any form. This means it cannot be emailed, phoned, faxed, texted, or sent by any other form of transmission.
- Media briefings are intended to provide additional insight and answer questions about the embargoed content. Information provided during media briefings is not for attribution. It is for background information only. Any media briefings on the specific contents of a Bill will only occur after the Bill’s introduction in the Assembly.
- An authorized Government of Alberta official will inform those participating in the embargo when the embargo will be lifted.
- Any media representative and/or media outlet found to be in breach of this embargo will be subject to sanction, which may include a ban from future Government of Alberta embargoes.
After you complete the agreement
You will receive an email with information on the embargo, including instructions on the timelines for distribution of embargoed materials and the teleconference ID number for the media briefing and/or embargoed event Any questions about the embargo can be addressed to the government representative identified in that email.