For decades many federal agencies have been prohibiting reporters from talking to anyone without first requesting access through a public information officer (PIO). And over those years, these “PIO chokepoints” have gotten tighter and tighter, including oversight on conversations and demands for questions ahead of any interview. Reporters today are often not allowed to speak to anyone, even after acquiescing to censorship and controls.
First Amendment attorney and head of the Brechner Center, Frank LoMonte, wrote in a 2019 article: “Although the practice of gagging public employees from giving unapproved interviews is pervasive across all levels of government, decades’ worth of First Amendment caselaw demonstrates that blanket restrictions on speaking to the media are legally unenforceable.”
In July, twenty-five journalism organizations, including the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) and the Society of Environmental Journalists (SEJ) , called on the Biden administration to end these prohibitions and allow reporters to interview government sources without oversight.
In this 104th episode of “E&P Reports,” publisher Mike Blinder speaks with SPJ immediate past president and opinion editor at the San Diego News and Tribune, Matt Hall along with Chair of the SEJ and an editor at the Chesapeake Bay Journal, Tim Wheeler about how their two organizations (along with others) are working towards helping the industry
199 Meet The Washington Post’s new GenZ voice - Renee Yaseen
198 The new Community News and Small Business Support Act
197 Insights into maximizing digital ad revenue — one-on-one with Brock Berry.
196 One-on-one with News Media Canada's Paul Deegan as their country's battle with Big Tech heats up.`
195 Borrell’s latest survey: Ad spend to rise with newspapers hanging in there
194 A quick audit of the top issues facing Danielle Coffey, now 3-weeks in as the new CEO of the News/Media Alliance
193 Gannett CEO Mike Reed on Google antitrust lawsuit
192 One-on-one with Peter Bhatia, CEO of the new nonprofit, free-access Houston Landing
191 NewsGuild President Jon Schleuss on TNG-CWA’s “most active year” of strikes and walkouts
190 One-on-one with the outspoken Evan Brandt, the last reporter left at The Mercury
189 Ballantine enters a Gannett “ghost paper” town, starting a five-day-a-week free, printed tabloid
188 The NPPA’s Mickey Osterreicher. Helping both the police & journalists understand the 1st Amendment.
187 The new MaineJF: Fighting to keep Maine news media pristine and hedge-fund free.
186 A one-on-one with Trust Project CEO Sally Lehrman
185 Guy Tasaka’s takeaways for news publishers from the NAB
184 Philanthropy and local journalism, as seen through the eyes of the giving community
183 Covering multiple major stories simultaneously. One month in the life of the Nashville Tennessean
182 Exploring Ogdensburg, NY’s two years as a 'news desert' and how the community rallied to bring back its voice
181 The Charleston Post and Courier: Committed to statewide coverage one market at a time
180 Two embedded journalists are making an impact thanks to the JFP
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