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Mediated Access: Journalists' Perceptions of Federal Public Information Officer Media Control

Mediated Access: Journalists’ Perceptions of Federal Public Information Officer Media Control, by Carolyn Carlson, David Cuillier and Lindsey Tulkoff – Society of Professional Journalists, March 12, 2012

  • “On the eve of Sunshine Week 2012, a survey of journalists who cover federal agencies found that information flow in the United States is highly regulated by public affairs officers, to the point where most reporters considered the control to be a form of censorship and an impediment to providing information to the public. According to a survey of 146 reporters who cover federal agencies, conducted by the Society of Professional Journalists in February 2012, journalists indicated that public information officers often require pre-approval for interviews, prohibit interviews of agency employees, and often monitor interviews. Journalists overwhelmingly agreed with the statement that “the public was not getting all the information it needs because of barriers agencies are imposing on journalists’ reporting practices.”
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