Date: July 10, 1985
To: Apple Managers
From: Barbara Krause
Subject: Inquiries from the Press
As you all know, Apple operates in a fish bowl. Everything we do-- or don't do-- seems to be news. With this in mind, I want to remind you and your staffs that Apple operates under specific guidelines for responding to press inquiries which need to be followed by us all.
The most important guideline is that all media calls received by anyone in the company are to first be referred to Apple's public relations staff. Doing so allows us an opportunity to provide background information to the reporter, gather additional information they need, determine their story angle and put the story in perspective. We either answer the questions ourselves, arrange for an interview with the appropriate Apple person, or involve our public relations agency, Regis McKenna, Inc.
When this process is not followed and individuals are interviewed without any public relations involvement, they often find themselves embarrassed by their printed quotes, or in direct contradiction with the quotes from someone else at Apple. This leads to misinformation being published, causing confusion and an erosion of Apple's credibility.
Furthermore, private, confidential conversations with reporters (the "off the record" kind) can be particularly damaging for this company. We've all seen a tremendous amount of inaccurate and confidential information reported lately, and it has had a serious impact on our image as a company.
Please discuss this matter with your staff, and call us when you receive calls from the media. Thank you very much.