Publication Items

E-Beat Explainers: For Congress' Eyes Only [1]

The Congressional Research Service, a taxpayer-funded agency, produces a steady stream of fact-filled and objective background reports on many issues of interest to environment and energy reporters but refuses to share them with the public. But there are other ways to access them...

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [3]
Disasters [4]
Energy & Fuel [5]
Government [6]
Visibility:
Public [7]
- Read more about E-Beat Explainers: For Congress' Eyes Only [1]
SPJ, SEJ Seek Meet with White House Spox on Minders, Permissions [8]

The Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) and SEJ sent a letter to Josh Earnest (pictured), White House Press Secretary, May 29, 2015, asking for a meeting to discuss restrictions that infringe on journalists' abilities to report on the federal government. The letter follows up on earlier pleas from some 38 journalism groups to the White House for more openness.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Government [6]
Journalism & Media [9]
Visibility:
Public [7]
- Read more about SPJ, SEJ Seek Meet with White House Spox on Minders, Permissions [8]
House Insists Congressional Research Service Reports Be Secret [10]

It's not a mistake. Congress really doesn't want you to read those excellent explainers on public issues produced by experts at the Congressional Research Service (CRS). We know this because a House Appropriations subcommittee specifically restated that CRS was not to publish its reports.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Government [6]
Visibility:
Public [7]
- Read more about House Insists Congressional Research Service Reports Be Secret [10]
Despite FOIA, EPA Press Policy Remains a Puzzle Palace [11]

In response to the WatchDog's request for the U.S. EPA's press policy, EPA seems to be saying that it doesn't have one. Or that paradoxically EPA staff can talk to reporters but are forbidden to talk to reporters. Or that EPA does not respond to requests for information. Even though the WatchDog finally got a partial response to its June 10, 2014, FOIA request for EPA policies on news media access to EPA employees on April 29, 2015, nothing was revealed. Puzzled? So are we.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Environmental Politics [12]
Government [6]
Journalism & Media [9]
Visibility:
Public [7]
- Read more about Despite FOIA, EPA Press Policy Remains a Puzzle Palace [11]
News Media Complaints About PIO "Minders" Won't Go Away [13]

Washington Post reporter Paul Farhi has published a story detailing the unfolding of the Obama spin-control saga and the resulting uneasy standoff. Several SEJ members are mentioned, as is Tom Reynolds (pictured), Associate Administrator for EPA's Office of Public Affairs, who justified press office chaperoning of agency experts and portrayed the typical reporter as inexperienced and ignorant.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Environmental Politics [12]
Government [6]
Visibility:
Public [7]
- Read more about News Media Complaints About PIO "Minders" Won't Go Away [13]
SEJ Appeals EPA Stonewalling of FOIA on Media Policy [14]

The U.S. EPA has been stonewalling a June 2014 SEJ request for documents describing its policies for dealing with news media. Now SEJ is appealing the long delay in responding to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request by calling it what it is — a denial of information.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Environmental Politics [12]
Government [6]
Policy [15]
Visibility:
Public [7]
- Read more about SEJ Appeals EPA Stonewalling of FOIA on Media Policy [14]
Coast Guard Spill Database Rendered Almost Useless for Reporters [16]

There used to be a searchable, online database of oil and chemical spill reports that reporters could turn to in an emergency to get insight into important breaking news. But ham-handed security efforts have sabotaged the public's right to know. Right now, emergency responders are working on a spill of a cancer-causing fuel additive known as MTBE. But news reporters probably couldn't get much if any helpful information from the database today (we checked).

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Disasters [4]
Energy & Fuel [5]
Government [6]
Military [17]
Region:
National (U.S.) [18]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [19]
Visibility:
Public [7]
- Read more about Coast Guard Spill Database Rendered Almost Useless for Reporters [16]
EPA Gets a "D" Grade on Information Access from Watchdog Group [20]

The score came from the Center for Effective Government, which now awards the scores annually. Much of the score is based on the agency's performance under the Freedom of Information Act. EPA was one of the few agencies whose grade actually went down since 2014.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Government [6]
Visibility:
Public [7]
- Read more about EPA Gets a "D" Grade on Information Access from Watchdog Group [20]
FOIA-Strengthening Bills Come Back to Life in House and Senate [21]

A bill to strengthen the Freedom of Information Act awaits Senate floor action. But the Obama administration, which once pledged to be the most open in history, has so far been strangely silent. Crickets. "Worries from the agencies are whispered into lawmakers' ears," wrote E&E Publishing's Kevin Bogardus.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Government [6]
Laws & Regulations [22]
Visibility:
Public [7]
- Read more about FOIA-Strengthening Bills Come Back to Life in House and Senate [21]
Groups FOIA Federal Rules for Allowing Petroleum Export Ban Exceptions [23]

For decades, U.S. politicians have made energy independence a patriotic platitude — with one result being a ban on exporting crude oil produced in the U.S. Now some oil companies are getting exceptions to the export ban for a product called "condensate," and the Commerce Department won't say why. So a coalition of environmental groups have filed a Freedom of Information Act request to find out.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Energy & Fuel [5]
Government [6]
Laws & Regulations [22]
Visibility:
Public [7]
- Read more about Groups FOIA Federal Rules for Allowing Petroleum Export Ban Exceptions [23]

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