Always be prepared to protect our free press

You know things are getting pretty bad for a free press when even establishment media bastions are complaining about its hallmarks; open government records, open government meetings, transparent government transactions, and accountability by government officials.

In a recent blog post, Associated Press Washington Bureau Chief Sally Buzbee lists eight ways that the Obama administration is blocking information, which in turn are hampering efforts by reporters to find the data and sources needed to keep government accountable.

Read more about this chilling trend.

“It’s increasingly clear that federal agencies under this administration are raising barriers to reporters. And it’s not just at the federal level,” Jason Stverak, President of the Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity in Arlington, Virginia told Historic City News editor Michael Gold today. “More and more, the press is being shut out at all levels of government – simply for doing its job and covering our government officials.”

As government transparency and accessibility deteriorate, The Franklin Center has stood with the free press, sounding the alarm every step of the way.

“The First Amendment stands at the unshakable core of our mission,” Stverak added, speaking about the Center and its publication Watchdog Wire, for which Gold is the Florida state editor. “Helping journalist to speak truth to power is why we’re here.”

For example, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office has adopted some of the most closed-door policies on access to public information about arrests, criminal investigations, and other police actions in northeast Florida. In St Johns County, the sheriff’s public information officer reports that they are monitoring the situation with a view towards limiting the days and time of day that reporters can contact one of the three officials in that department for details about all but the most serious of crimes.

“When a reporter calls one of us at 2:00 a.m. or 3:00 a.m. because they want to know some detail of a call for service, they are going to be told to call back at 9:00 a.m. when we are at the office,” Commander Chuck Mulligan informed Historic City News. “Of course, if it’s a matter of life or death, one of us is probably already at the scene, we may have a media area staged, and that’s a different story; but, when it just a matter of one reporter trying to best another reporter about something someone saw on facebook or twitter, it may have to wait until business hours, Monday – Friday from 9:00 – 5:00.”

Historic City News has a good relationship with our government sources and we try to be fair in reporting the good as well as the bad. We are quick to write newsworthy articles recognizing the accomplishments of our local residents, businessmen, public sector employees and even politicians; however, you are living in a fool’s paradise if you think for one moment that we won’t also report on fraud, waste and abuse in those same government offices, or when we find anything short of complete transparency. We are always prepared to hold public officials accountable to the public.