Monday, March 19, 2012

SPJ Survey: Many Journalists Say Federal Agencies' Interference with Reporting Is Censorship

A survey sponsored by the Society of Professional Journalists has found that 7 of 10 journalists who cover federal agencies consider government controls over who they interview a form of censorship.

Three-quarters of the 146 reporters who answered the survey said they have to get approval from a public affairs official before interviewing an agency employee.
About 85 percent of respondents agreed that, “The public is not getting the information it needs because of barriers agencies are imposing on journalists’ reporting practices.”

The entire survey is on the SPJ’s site.