Society of Environmental Journalists
P.O. Box 2492
Jenkintown PA 19046

By E-mail To: 
Dan Pfeiffer
White House Communications Director
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
Washington, D.C.  20500-003

February 24, 2010

Dear Mr. Pfeiffer:

The Society of Environmental Journalists (SEJ) joins other journalism organizations in 
urging the Obama administration to end practices that restrict the flow of information 
to the public. The free flow of information is essential to democracy. But in matters 
of environmental health, even more is at stake: the ability of citizens to live healthful 
and productive lives.

Specifically, we object to the requirement that journalists and federal employees notify 
or obtain permission from an official to conduct an interview. And we object to public 
information officers listening to interviews. These practices hinder reporters' ability 
to learn the truth by inhibiting and sometimes barring employees from providing essential 
information.

These two restrictions have tended to be imposed more tightly and at an increasing number 
of agencies in the past 10 or 15 years. The Obama administration should reverse this trend.

Public information officers can play a useful role, but when they forbid, delay, or monitor 
contact between reporters and employees, they interfere with the public's right to know 
and can delay access to timely information.

In keeping with President Obama's promise to make government more transparent and 
accountable, we hope the administration will end these harmful practices and restore 
the free flow of information.

Background on SEJ. The Society of Environmental Journalists (SEJ) is an international 
organization of more than 1,500 working journalists, educators, and students dedicated 
to advancing public understanding of environmental issues by improving the quality and 
visibility of environmental affairs reporting. Members work in a variety of mediums 
including television, radio and print. We work on issues like this through our First 
Amendment Task Force.

Concerns in Detail. Uninhibited discussion of scientific findings, facts, and conclusions 
is a key to good science -- and to the formation of sound, science-based public policy 
and regulatory decisions. Science quickly loses its credibility when it is moderated by 
political and policy appointees, and that, in our experience, has been standard procedure 
at a growing number of federal agencies in recent years. These practices hinder reporters' 
ability to learn the truth by inhibiting and sometimes barring employees from providing 
essential information. 

Public information officers can play an important role in answering questions and 
facilitating interviews. But when they forbid, delay or monitor contact between reporters 
and employees, they interfere with the public's right to know and can delay access to 
timely information necessary to protect and advance public health. Usually the most 
accurate information comes from federal employees closest to the facts, not a go-between.
 
Federal scientists have not always been restricted in speaking about their findings. Nor 
is press-office mediation of reporter-scientist contact a universal practice among today's 
federal agencies. In keeping with President Obama's promise to make government more 
transparent and accountable, we hope the current White House will end these harmful 
practices and restore the free flow of information.
 
Ours is a position shared by many other journalism groups, including the Association of 
Health Care Journalists, the Society of Professional Journalists, the American Society of 
News Editors, the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, and the Radio Television 
Digital News Association.

We are happy to discuss this letter further with you.  To follow up, please contact 
Christy George at (503) 293-4001, Ken Ward Jr. at (304) 348-1702, or Joseph Davis at 
(301) 656-2261 or jdavis2@starpower.net. We look forward to hearing from you soon.
 
 
Sincerely,
 

Christy George, SEJ President
(Oregon Public Broadcasting)

Ken Ward Jr., SEJ First Amendment Task Force Chair
(Charleston Gazette)

cc:
Dr. John Holdren 
Director, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy
 
Dr.Peter Orszag
Director, Office of Management and Budget