National Press Club

NPC Code of Ethics

Code of Ethics

Conflict of Interest

Club members in charge of working on Club-sponsored events must avoid conflicts of interest. Members cannot receive payments, gifts or privileges from persons or organizations participating in Club-sponsored events. Members violating this section are subject to disciplinary action, including expulsion, by the board of governors. The only exception to this provision applies to organizers of NPC-sponsored trips and is noted in the Travel section.

Speakers

The National Press Club does not pay for speakers for its speakers' programs except when the board of governors, by majority vote, agrees that extraordinary circumstances justify reimbursement for actual expenses.

The National Press Club does not accept payment for Organizations for their speakers to appear at the National Press Club.

The National Press Club will not schedule a speaker for a National Press Club sponsored event that is actually underwritten by another group to the extent of purchasing a majority of the tickets for the program. The Club will allow a representative of a luncheon speaker to purchase in advance a block of no more than fifty tickets. Then, after members have been given a chance to make reservations and a decision has been made that enough persons have signed up to make the event a success, more tickets may be made available as space permits for the speaker's organization with permission of the president or board chair. The policy will not apply in cases where another professional organization joins in supporting the event.

Speakers at Club events intended to produce news shall not be scheduled in connections with social or entertainment events except in the most extraordinary circumstances. It will be the responsibility of the president to see that all involved understand that each event is to stand on its own merits and is independently cancelable.

Speakers' programs at the National Press Club are open to accredited members of the press, radio and television regardless of NPC membership.

Entertainment


  • The National Press Club will accept the services of entertainers without charge for the Club entertainment programs.

  • The National Press Club may pay for services of entertainers for Club entertainment programs.

  • The National Press Club may accept services of individuals or groups for Club entertainment programs.

  • No contract shall be entered into on behalf of the National Press Club for committee-sponsored activities without the approval of the general manager or Club president.

  • The National Press Club may purchase food, beverage or merchandise at cost or wholesale for Club entertainment programs.

  • The National Press Club does not accept without charge of food or beverages for Club entertainment events.

  • The National Press Club may accept merchandise, of nominal value, to give away to attendees of member entertainment events.

  • The National Press Club does not accept gifts or cash for Club entertainment events.

Travel

All NPC travel is to be conducted in accordance with guidelines approved by the Board of Governors


  • The travel committee shall be composed of members in good standing and led by a Chair appointed by the President and other officers as determined by the Chair.

  • No member of the NPC Travel Committee shall receive benefits or other payments related to travel sponsored by the NPC.

  • No person acting for or in connection with the National Press Club shall accept favors of any kind from the Club’s Travel Program.

  • Any proposed travel promotion reception shall be arranged through the staff liaison.

  • Any proposed trip shall be approved by the NPC Travel Committee prior to any promotion of the trip. Copy for the WIRE article announcing the Trip shall be approved by the NPC Travel Committee Chair prior to its submission for publication.

Commercial Involvement

Notwithstanding Article 10 of the National Press Club bylaws, Club officers and board members, and their family members or other business organizations in which they or their families have a significant financial interest, are prohibited from selling goods or services to the Club, and directly profiting from another party's sale of goods and services to the Club, during their term of service and for two years thereafter.

The National Press Club may publish books, booklets or periodicals related to its professional nature or in connection with its being as a Club.

The National Press Club may authorize sale of audio and video tapes, transcripts, records or films in connection with its professional nature, history, news events or other activities held under NPC auspices at the Club.

The National Press Club may sell souvenir items such as dishes, mugs, ties, scarves, pins, jackets, playing cards, pens and pencils, etc.

Merchandise may not be sold or promoted on the premises of the National Press Club unless the merchandise is property of the Club. An exception shall be made for books sold personally by their authors during their appearances at official Club-sponsored book and author sessions.

The National Press Club will not lend its name to any commercial venture or become associated with a ny commercial venture except as itemized above.

The National Press Club flag and seal, which are the Club's professional symbols, shall be displayed only at official Club functions.

Professional Involvement

The National Press Club encourages the widest possible use of Club facilities by other responsible groups involved in the news profession. If any committee or individual of the Club has a suggestion about a professional activity involving another organization involved in the news media, they should contact the president or board of governors.

Political Involvement

The National Press Club will not become involved in any partisan political activity beyond its role as one of the nation's leading news forums and having speakers of any political persuasion participating in programs at the Club. The foregoing is not intended to bar officers or other official representatives of the Club from dealing with Congress or agencies of the District of Columbia government on matters affecting the Club itself or to present views on press issues.

News Conferences Held at the National Press Club

All members of the press, radio, television or other news media will be admitted without discrimination to a general media conference which is publicizes as such in advance. Private meetings, with private invitations, are not involved in this requirement.

Publicity in advance of a private occasion may, of course, mention that a meeting is being held in the National Press Club, but it may not imply in any way that the National Press Club is sponsoring, authorizing or supporting the meeting.

Because the National Press Club is frequently host to personalities in the news, and is famous for its public functions at which newsmakers appear, the sponsorship of each function will be made clear at the beginning of the meeting.

Club Membership List

No use of the National Press Club membership list shall be made without approval of the board of governors.

Members who are running for office in a National Press Club election are entitled to the latest updated membership list before that elections and one free-addressed mailout as per election rules adopted in 1977.

The Club's files on members and employees are confidential and may not be examined without the permission of the president or the chairman of the board of governors. This includes electronic data and all formally maintained records. No commercial use is to be made of the National Press Club mailing list.

Publications

The National Press Club Wire is an electronic publication to promote the activities of the National Press Club in all realms, to publish items of professional interest to its members, to inform the membership of actions of the board of governors, to print items of interest about members (books, awards, honors, etc.) as space permits, and to publish regularly such service features as the calendar of coming events, job opportunities and the "30" box.

The National Press Club Wire may publish news of professional activities held in the Club and open to NPC members such as those sponsored by the Society of Professional Journalists, Capital Press Club, White House Correspondents Association, American Press Institute, Washington Journalism Center, American Society of Newspaper Editors, etc.

Neither the National Press Club Wire nor any member of its staff will receive financial remuneration for anything that is published in the Wire.

The National Press Club Wire will not be used for any political, commercial or any other purpose except for those stated above.