Loftus's Laws refers to a set of principles expounded by Joe Loftus, a reporter chosen by George Shultz to be his press spokesman for the US State Department. The goal of Shultz was for his spokesman to have credibility with reporters by being "on the inside."
1. Don't lie. Don't mislead. Credibility is very precious; it can never be misused. Once destroyed, it cannot be recaptured.
2. Respond to questions directly.
3. Help reporters get their facts straight. The press is an important way you communicate with the public. Don't act as if they are your enemy, however tempting at times.
4. Get on top of breaking stories. Be part of the original story. Nobody reads the reaction story. So be quick and don't hold back. In practice, this means a constant tug-of-war between the spokesman and substantive officials, who all too often are reluctant or slow to provide needed information.
Subsequent applications
During the aftermath of the 2012 Benghazi attack, the conduct of the UN Ambassador, Susan Rice, was seen as a violation of the first rule: "Rice did not appear to tell the true story, but to control the political fallout from Obama’s biggest foreign policy disaster." Her name had been discussed as a candidate for the Secretary of State position to replace outgoing Secretary Hillary Clinton, but she disqualified herself from consideration because of her conduct related to the Benghazi Attacks.