Journalists' Coalition Asks Trump Administration For Meeting On News Media Access To Government

From @WhiteHouse

A coalition of 60 journalism organizations, including some like the RADIO TELEVISION DIGITAL NEWS ASSOCIATION representing radio news journalists, have asked President-elect DONALD TRUMP and Vice President-elect MIKE PENCE for a meeting to talk about news media access to government.

In a letter sent TODAY to TRUMP and PENCE, the groups noted that they had met with President OBAMA's press secretary JOSH EARNEST in DECEMBER 2015 about their concerns that the OBAMA administration had been uncooperative in things like requests to talk to specific staffers, delays in responding to interview requests, making public information on background only, and agencies "blackballing" critical reporters, only to see little improvement after their meeting. 

In light of that situation, the organizations are asking TRUMP and PENCE to allow reporters to directly interact with expert government employees rather than only with Public Information Officers or with the PIOs monitoring what the experts say; access to the President's activities; and support for the Federal Freedom of Information Act.

The letter asks, "We urge you to publicly affirm your commitment to transparency, to issue an executive order prohibiting the restrictive public information policies that have been the status quo, and to engage in a public discussion with us about the TRUMP administration's commitment to the free flow of information from the WHITE HOUSE and all federal government, to the American people."

"This is an unprecedented time for the American media and, as a consequence, for the American public.  It is imperative that the incoming administration understand the importance of transparency in government and the cooperative spirit needed in working with the journalists who cover it," said RTDNA Exec. Dir. MIKE CAVENDER. "Only then will Americans be fully and fairly informed about the important decisions being made on their behalf."

The participating organizations include:

• ALASKA PRESS CLUB
• AMERICAN COPY EDITORS SOCIETY
• AMERICAN SOCIETY OF BUSINESS PUBLICATION EDITORS
• AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MEDIA PHOTOGRAPHERS
• AMERICAN SOCIETY OF NEWS EDITORS
• ARAB AND MIDDLE EASTERN JOURNALISTS ASSOCIATION
• ASIAN AMERICAN JOURNALISTS ASSOCIATION
• ASSOCIATED PRESS MEDIA EDITORS
• ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO MANAGERS
• ASSOCIATION FOR EDUCATION IN JOURNALISM AND MASS COMMUNICATION
• ASSOCIATION OF ALTERNATIVE NEWS MEDIA
• ASSOCIATION OF HEALTH CARE JOURNALISTS
• ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOLS OF JOURNALISM AND MASS COMMUNICATION
• BROADCAST EDUCATION ASSOCIATION
• CENTER FOR SCHOLASTIC JOURNALISM
• COLLEGE MEDIA ASSOCIATION
• COLORADO PRESS WOMEN
• DEFENDING RIGHTS & DISSENT
• EDUCATION WRITERS ASSOCIATION
• FLORIDA PRESS ASSOCIATION
• HOOSIER STATE PRESS ASSOCIATION
• INVESTIGATIVE REPORTERS AND EDITORS
• iSOLON
• JOURNALISM AND WOMEN SYMPOSIUM
• JOURNALISM EDUCATION ASSOCIATION
• LOCAL INDEPENDENT ONLINE NEWS PRODUCERS
• LOCAL MEDIA ASSOCIATION
• MICHIGAN PRESS ASSOCIATION
• MEDIA OF NEBRASKA INC.
• NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BLACK JOURNALISTS
• NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF HISPANIC JOURNALISTS
• NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SCIENCE WRITERS
• NATIONAL NEWSPAPER ASSOCIATION
• NATIONAL PRESS PHOTOGRAPHERS ASSOCIATION
• NATIONAL SCHOLASTIC PRESS ASSOCIATION/ASSOCIATED COLLEGIATE PRESS
• NATIONAL WRITERS UNION
• NATIVE AMERICAN JOURNALISTS ASSOCIATION
• NEBRASKA PRESS ASSOCIATION
• NEVADA PRESS ASSOCIATION
• NEW JERSEY PRESS ASSOCIATION
• NEWS MEDIA ALLIANCE
• NEWS MEDIA COALITION
• NEWS MEDIA GUILD LOCAL 31222
• NLGJA: THE ASSOCIATION OF LGBTQ JOURNALISTS
• NORTH AMERICAN AGRICULTURAL JOURNALISTS
• ONLINE NEWS ASSOCIATION
• POYNTER
• RADIO TELEVISION DIGITAL NEWS ASSOCIATION
• RELIGION NEWS ASSOCIATION
• REPORTERS COMMITTEE FOR FREEDOM OF THE PRESS
• REPORTERS WITHOUT BORDERS
• SOCIETY OF ENVIRONMENTAL JOURNALISTS
• SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL JOURNALISTS
• SOUTH CAROLINA PRESS ASSOCIATION
• SOUTH DAKOTA NEWSPAPER ASSOCIATION
• STUDENT PRESS LAW CENTER
• THE NEWSGUILD - CWA
• THE NEWSGUILD OF NEW YORK
• TULLY CENTER FOR FREE SPEECH
• UNITED MEDIA GUILD –TNG-CWA
• UNITY JOURNALISTS FOR DIVERSITY

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