Pushback on White House, Info Access Summit, Records Destruction & more

WatchDog: Pushback on White House, Info Access Summit, Records Destruction & more

 

1. SEJ Objects to Acosta Treatment, Suspension of White House Press Pass
2. Science Writers Host “Info Access Summit” on PIO Policy
3. Interior Secrecy, Records Destruction Raise Controversies
4. CNN New York City Studio Evacuated for Pipe Bomb

 

1. SEJ Objects to Acosta Treatment, Suspension of White House Press Pass

The Society of Environmental Journalists joined a chorus of journalism groups objecting to White House treatment of CNN reporter Jim Acosta.

Acosta questioned President Trump at a news conference following the elections Nov. 7, and Trump attacked him for persisting in a question. After an intern tried to grab the microphone from him, Press Secretary Sarah Elizabeth Huckabee Sanders accused him of putting hands on the intern and announced that his press pass (may require subscription) would be suspended. The White House then circulated a video of the incident doctored (may require subscription) to make Acosta look bad (may require subscription). In the latest development,  CNN has now filed suit against the White House, seeking the immediate restoration of Acosta's access.

The SEJ statement: “The Society of Environmental Journalists objects to the White House pulling the press credential of CNN's Jim Acosta. It is a reporter's job to ask challenging questions, and when those in power respond with retribution, it amounts to unacceptable censorship. The unprecedented and unwarranted revocation of Acosta's press pass is based on a provably false allegation by Sarah Huckabee Sanders that accused Acosta of ‘placing his hands on’ a female White House intern.  We urge the White House to restore Acosta's credential immediately.”

Other journalism groups released similar statements. They include the White House Correspondents’ Association, White House News Photographers Association, American Society of News Editors, Associated Press Media Editors, Online News Association, Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, Society of Professional Journalists, National Association of Hispanic Journalists, National Association of Black Journalists, National Press Club and Radio Television Digital News Association.

Trump continued to attack journalists following the incident. Within a day, he threatened to revoke more press passes, despite a post-campaign promise not to.

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2. Science Writers Host “Info Access Summit” on PIO Policy

The National Association of Science Writers, or NASW, hosted a “summit” seeking input in drafting of a policy statement on how journalists’ need for free information access might fit with the role of public information officers, or PIOs.

The summit was held Oct. 16-17 in Washington, D.C., following the association’s annual meeting. The draft statement of principles is still being worked on, and has not been published yet. If and when the NASW board approves it, it may seek sign-ons from other journalism groups. The meeting’s agenda is here.

The NASW allows both journalists and PIOs to be members.

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3. Interior Secrecy, Records Destruction Raise Controversies

Secrecy at the Interior Department is becoming an issue. Two different controversies about records related to endangered species are generating confusion amid an atmosphere of mistrust.

The first may be found in a lawsuit filed Nov. 8 against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service by the Center for Biological Diversity. CBD complains that FWS reviews endangered species, in a process called Species Status Assessment, allegedly intended to hide the science and let political appointees decide whether to protect the species.

 

Two different Interior Dept. controversies

about records related to endangered species

are generating confusion amid an atmosphere of mistrust.

 

Documents from the program are kept from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act, but CBD says they should be disclosed. Nonetheless, the dispute has gotten into newspapers including the Missoula Current. The issue, it seems, is that secrecy breeds mistrust.

The other controversy may or may not be a misunderstanding. The Interior Department scheduled the destruction of some records — some of them having to do with the Endangered Species Act. This sort of thing happens all the time in most federal agencies when records are old and superfluous. It is done under specific rules under supervision by the National Archives and Records Administration. Only useless records are supposed to be destroyed.

But it became an issue when Interior recently moved to update its records destruction schedule. Some Interior scientists felt the department was simply trying to make their work disappear, and the story got into news outlets including the Missoulian. And advocacy groups like Indivisible have raised a ruckus. But the Organization of American Historians (who like records) says it is not malign, and just a misunderstanding.

The proposed schedule change will be open for public comment until Nov. 26.

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4. CNN New York City Studio Evacuated for Pipe Bomb

It was big news for an hour or two: The CNN New York headquarters was evacuated when a pipe bomb was found in the mailroom. Having the building fire alarm go off while the anchors were on air was, well, dramatic.

The incident faded from the chyrons as 15 more pipe bombs were discovered within the next couple of days, all mailed to critics of President Donald Trump whom he had publicly and repeatedly attacked.

None of the bombs went off. This time. The alleged mail-bomber (a big Trump fan) (may require subscription) was quickly found, arrested and charged. Trump denied that his rhetoric had anything to do with the episode.

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* From the weekly news magazine SEJournal Online, Vol. 3, No. 41. Content from each new issue of SEJournal Online is available to the public via the SEJournal Online main page. Subscribe to the e-newsletter here. And see past issues of the SEJournal archived here.