The Society of Professional Journalists has called on President Joe Biden to end restrictions on federal employees from “speaking to the press without notification or oversight by authorities, often by using public information officers as gatekeepers.”
“These rules, exacerbated under the Trump administration, amount to extreme censorship and damage everyone’s understanding of government,” said SPJ president Matt Hall. “They literally threaten people’s lives.”
“SPJ believes the nation is suffering the consequences of these controls during the COVID-19 pandemic,” the letter states. “Agencies that the public count on, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration, have stymied reporting for years. Often, the press is not allowed in their facilities and reporters are prohibited from contacting staff without the authorities’ oversight; in reality, reporters are often not allowed to speak to anyone.”
The Hill newspaper covered the statement on inauguration day.
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