The following is a flowchart, obtained through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request in June 2006, detailing the complicated process through which news releases are approved within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Department of Commerce.

Acronyms -- LO: Line Office, OPCIA: Office of Public, Constituent and Intergovernmental Affairs, PCO: Program Coordination Office, DOC: Department of Commerce, PA: Public Affairs