For decades reporters have staked out doorways in the U.S. Capitol in hopes of shouting questions at emerging bigwigs. But last week a reporter trying to question EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy was briefly detained by Capitol Police. McCarthy declined to answer his question.

It remained unclear last week whether the traditional openness and civility that once marked the Capitol's newsgathering environment were changing. Witnesses differed on what happened. A police spokesperson said Bloomberg BNA energy reporter Ari Natter had pushed an officer. But witnesses told Roll Call that it was the officer who had pushed Natter.

Natter tweeted the story while he was being detained. Police released him after a background check. Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Terrance W. Gainer later apologized for the incident.

• "Capitol Kerfuffle: Reporter Detained for Asking Question," [2] Roll Call, March 28, 2014, by Hannah Hess.