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Tue, Oct 04 2011 08:47:18

Science News and Government Transparency

Journalists, including AHCJ board member Felice Freyer, gathered to discuss whether the Obama administration lives up to its promise to make science more transparent and accessible to the public. Representatives of the EPA, HHS and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy were invited to take part but didn't respond to multiple requests.

  1. Curtis Brainard (@CBrainard) recently wrote about the topic in "Transparency Watch: A Closed Door."

    The panel:

    * Moderator: Seth Borenstein, science reporter for The Associated Press (@BorenBears)
    * Curtis Brainard, CJR"s science editor (@CBrainard)
    * Joseph Davis, Society of Environmental Journalists
    * Felice Freyer, Association of Health Care Journalists (@FeliceJFreyer)
    * Darren Samuelsohn, Politico"s senior energy and environment reporter (@DSamuelsohn)
    * Clothilde Le Coz, Reporters Without Borders (@CloLeCoz)
  2. bobfinn
    bobfinn@bobfinn
    Now: live webcast of Nat'l Press Club event Access Denied: Science News and Government Transparency t.co/JGvmx93i #sejopen
    Mon, Oct 03 2011 12:09:35
  3. AHCJ_Pia
    AHCJ_Pia@AHCJ_Pia
    No government reps responded to invite to #sejopen panel on transparency, thus an empty chair. t.co/03imJbXi
    Mon, Oct 03 2011 12:11:25

  4. Panelists were asked to put the problems they're seeing in perspective.

  5. bobfinn
    bobfinn@bobfinn
    Felice Freyer "It may be getting better." #sejopen
    Mon, Oct 03 2011 12:14:23
  6. bobfinn
    bobfinn@bobfinn
    .@nancyshute: this is an issue NASW has been dealing with for decades. #sejopen
    Mon, Oct 03 2011 12:15:04
  7. jcderrick1
    jcderrick1@jcderrick1
    Clothilde Le Coz, Reporters Without Borders, says Denmark is the world leader in making info available to journalists. #SEJopen
    Mon, Oct 03 2011 12:24:17
  8. jcderrick1
    jcderrick1@jcderrick1
    Curtis Brainard, CJR science editor, says Obama administration is "a hair's breadth" better at openness than the Bush admin. #SEJopen
    Mon, Oct 03 2011 12:28:08
  9. jcderrick1
    jcderrick1@jcderrick1
    Felice Freyer, assn of health care journalists: compared to Soviet Russia, we're doing great. #SEJopen
    Mon, Oct 03 2011 12:40:20
  10. robertmcclure
    robertmcclure@robertmcclure
    @Nancyshute: US setts high #transparency standards for other nations, shld lea. But PR folks get between reporters, scientists #sejopen
    Mon, Oct 03 2011 12:43:17
  11. robertmcclure
    robertmcclure@robertmcclure
    @CloLeCoz, Reporters Without Borders: France compares favorably to on gov't #transparency. Officials talk to reporters (eventually) #sejopen
    Mon, Oct 03 2011 12:59:34

  12. Conversation turned to some recent examples in which the administration has moved backwards, including the removal of the Public Use File of the National Pracitioner Data Bank from a public website. The data has been a key reporting tool for years, allowing reporters to write about lax oversight of bad doctors.

  13. robertmcclure
    robertmcclure@robertmcclure
    @FeliceFreyer: Nat'l Practitioners Database -- now they're asking journos to make special requests. #Obama made secret. @sejopen #scary
    Mon, Oct 03 2011 12:31:11
  14. robertmcclure
    robertmcclure@robertmcclure
    @sej's Joe Davis: OMB "a big story. We're missing it." #sejopen
    Mon, Oct 03 2011 12:35:20
  15. robertmcclure
    robertmcclure@robertmcclure
    @sej's Joe Davis: Corporate lobby groups behind secrecy. Says #Obama had noble goals but came up against them. OMB also to blame #sejopen
    Mon, Oct 03 2011 12:32:43
  16. robertmcclure
    robertmcclure@robertmcclure
    @politico's @dsamuelsohn: Even Congress, where #secrecy is allowed, is more open than @EPAgov, White House, et al. #sejopen #transparency
    Mon, Oct 03 2011 12:37:45
  17. The panelists were asked to rate the Obama administration's openness.
  18. jcderrick1
    jcderrick1@jcderrick1
    Freyer gives Obama admin 4 for science openness. "We can do a lot better." Other panelists rated admin 5 to 7. #SEJopen
    Mon, Oct 03 2011 12:43:59

  19. One example included recent guidelines on media interactions issued by the Department of Health and Human Services. One sticking point for journalists is that they must go through PIOs to reach the experts.

  20. robertmcclure
    robertmcclure@robertmcclure
    @felicefreyer: U'd be hard pressed to find reporter who hasn't had trouble getting to #scientists. Campaign-like info control #sejopen #sej
    Mon, Oct 03 2011 12:46:12
  21. robertmcclure
    robertmcclure@robertmcclure
    @jbruggers: yur quite right. #obama admin thinks social networking replaces journalists. Acts like they're still running a campaign #sejopen
    Mon, Oct 03 2011 12:45:00
  22. jbruggers
    jbruggers@jbruggers
    My opinion: Biggest problem is requests to talk to scientists, policy experts, even flacks, require DC clearance / bureaucratic mud #sejopen
    Mon, Oct 03 2011 12:46:17
  23. jcderrick1
    jcderrick1@jcderrick1
    Joseph Davis: some EPA scientists are told by the minders "You can't answer that question." That's not new, but it's not good. #SEJopen
    Mon, Oct 03 2011 12:48:31
  24. lizzieg1
    lizzieg1@lizzieg1
    @sejopen Have had numerous instances of not being able 2 talk 2 EPA,HHS&NOAA staff &scientists who I'd spoken to previously all in 2010-11
    Mon, Oct 03 2011 12:50:36
  25. robertmcclure
    robertmcclure@robertmcclure
    @cjr's @CBrainard on @sej's Christy George: U.S. Forest Service flak from D.C. canceled intvu w/ scientist at last minute #sejopen #sej
    Mon, Oct 03 2011 12:51:07

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