On May 20, the Columbia Journalism Review published one of the best articles yet on the phenomenon of “mandated clearance.” That refers to agencies, offices and others forcing reporters’ conversations to be overseen--and often blocked--by some authority, often a public information officer.
Minneapolis journalist Cinnamon Janzer brought her own frustrations to the article and interviewed several SPJ people (including myself) and other journalists.
The conclusion, as stated by former SPJ president Carolyn Carson, is, “When the government is obstructing your ability to get those answers, the public needs to know exactly what they’re doing….”
Maybe journalists are coming to understand that. Coincidently, on the same day a post from the Association of Health Care Journalists said something similar. Felice Fryer, AHCJ Right to Know Chair, wrote about her newsroom at the Boston Globe. Editor Brian McGrory encouraged a reporter to do a column about state officials not answering questions, after widespread frustration in the newsroom and one PIO being amazingly obstructive.
Over the last 20-30 years there has been a surge in the trend of making public information officers into censors and information manipulators, at the behest of people in power. It’s a great shame on the PIO profession. It’s a greater shame on journalists that we have not told people about these blockages that impact them every day.
It’s critical to state, however, that journalists must not only fight for access in those instances they need to go through PIOs. It’s our ethical obligation to fight for the right to talk to anyone without any notification by anybody of any authority, including PIOs, before or after.
That’s just free speech. And without routine, fluid conversations, not overseen by anyone, confidential if need be, reporters will be dangerously unaware of many things.
Minneapolis journalist Cinnamon Janzer brought her own frustrations to the article and interviewed several SPJ people (including myself) and other journalists.
The conclusion, as stated by former SPJ president Carolyn Carson, is, “When the government is obstructing your ability to get those answers, the public needs to know exactly what they’re doing….”
Maybe journalists are coming to understand that. Coincidently, on the same day a post from the Association of Health Care Journalists said something similar. Felice Fryer, AHCJ Right to Know Chair, wrote about her newsroom at the Boston Globe. Editor Brian McGrory encouraged a reporter to do a column about state officials not answering questions, after widespread frustration in the newsroom and one PIO being amazingly obstructive.
Over the last 20-30 years there has been a surge in the trend of making public information officers into censors and information manipulators, at the behest of people in power. It’s a great shame on the PIO profession. It’s a greater shame on journalists that we have not told people about these blockages that impact them every day.
It’s critical to state, however, that journalists must not only fight for access in those instances they need to go through PIOs. It’s our ethical obligation to fight for the right to talk to anyone without any notification by anybody of any authority, including PIOs, before or after.
That’s just free speech. And without routine, fluid conversations, not overseen by anyone, confidential if need be, reporters will be dangerously unaware of many things.
