An “E&P Reports” Vodcast with Mike Blinder
For decades, many federal agencies have prohibited journalists from speaking to anyone without first requesting access through a public information officer (PIO). And over those years, those “PIO choke points” have gotten tighter and tighter, including monitoring conversations and asking questions before any interviews. Today, journalists are often not allowed to speak to anyone, even after accepting censorship and controls.
First Amendment lawyer and head of the Brechner Center, Frank LoMonte, wrote in a 2019 article: “Although the practice of gagging public employees not to give unsanctioned interviews is pervasive Government levels, decades of First Amendment case law demonstrate that blanket restrictions on talking to the media are legally unenforceable.
In July, 25 journalism organizations, including the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) and the Society of Environmental Journalists (SEJ), called on the Biden administration to end these bans and allow journalists to interview people. unmonitored government sources.
In this 104and episode of “E&P Reports”, editor mike blinder speaks with outgoing SPJ president and San Diego News and Tribune opinion writer, Matt Hall with the chairman of the SEJ Freedom of Information Task Force and an editor of the Chesapeake Bay Journal, Tim Wheeler on how their two organizations (along with others) are working to help the industry gain better media access to government employees without censorship or scrutiny.
