Penn State board to consider restricting media interviews for trustees

Penn State’s Board of Trustees will decide Friday whether to restrict trustees’ ability to talk to members of the press.

A proposed change to bylaws would require trustees to coordinate all media interviews in advance through the board office.

“Trustees shall coordinate all media and press interactions relating to matters that have come before the board with the board office in advance and shall respect guidance regarding such interactions that might be conveyed by that office or the Office of Strategic Communications,” reads the proposed change.

Another addition to the bylaws reminds trustees that publicly sharing their individual views outside of board meetings can be “misconstrued” as expression of the entire board’s position.

“Trustees should make diligent efforts to avoid such mi