Information & the record
press briefing
A scheduled session where an official takes questions from reporters. What is said is the institution's position, on the record unless stated otherwise.
In full
Briefings produce a transcript, which makes them a primary source for what an office claimed on a given day, whether or not the claim was accurate. A background briefing is the variant where officials are described rather than named, agreed in advance, and it is worth noticing when coverage rests on one.
Also written as: briefing
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A plain-language explanation for civic education, not legal advice. When in doubt, the official source named above controls.