News Media Roll Eyes at Obama Openness Pledges

Environmental reporters have long complained that U.S. EPA won't let them talk to agency scientists and other staff — even while the corporate lobbyists have free access. But maybe it's not all EPA's fault. It's a growing trend at many other federal agencies, too. Maybe it's actually the fault of President Barack Obama, who pledged to make his administration the most transparent ever.

Cue the news media eye-rolling. Some of it was chronicled in a May 1, 2014, post in the blog Mediaite. It quoted New York Times Executive Editor Jill Abramson calling the Obama administration "the most secretive White House I have ever dealt with." The story came out just a couple of days before the White House Correspondents' Association dinner.

• "Read Almost Every White House Reporter Mock Obama’s Transparency Claims," Mediaite, May 1, 2014, by Noah Rothman.
• "Obama’s Image Machine: Monopolistic Propaganda Funded by You," National Journal, November 21, 2013, by Ron Fournier.
• "Sharyl Attkisson: Team Obama Is Having ‘Chilling Effect’ on Media," Washington Times, April 14, 2014, by Cheryl K. Chumley.
• "Obama Transparency Record Remains Unimpressive," Committee To Protect Journalists, May 5, 2014, by Sara Rafsky.
• Transcripts of remarks from the National Press Club’s “When Press Offices Block the Press” event.
• Previous Stories: WatchDogs of March 21, 2014 (1) and March 21, 2014 (2).