Publication Items

SEJ Urges White House To Lose the "Minders"

SEJ wrote White House Communication Director Dan Pfeiffer asking for an end to the practice of requiring permission from the press office at federal agencies before reporters can talk to federal employees — and requiring Saddam-style PIO "minders" to sit in on interviews.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet
Topics on the Beat:
Journalism & Media
Government
Region:
National (U.S.)
Visibility:
Public
- Read more about SEJ Urges White House To Lose the "Minders"
Secret GSA Contractor Database Could Reveal Waste, Fraud, Abuse

Jim Morris of the Sunlight Foundation reports on the Project on Government Oversight's (POGO) so-far unsuccessful efforts to FOIA the data.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet
Topics on the Beat:
Government
Region:
National (U.S.)
Visibility:
Public
- Read more about Secret GSA Contractor Database Could Reveal Waste, Fraud, Abuse
FCC Broadband Plan May Promote Open Gov

John Wonderlich of the Sunlight Foundation has been tracking the Federal Communications Commission plan.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet
Topics on the Beat:
Government
Technology
Region:
National (U.S.)
Visibility:
Public
- Read more about FCC Broadband Plan May Promote Open Gov
Comments on Fed Agencies' Open Government Plans Due March 19

Various trackers are sorting through and compiling ideas, comments, and agencies' progress towards meeting the deadline.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet
Topics on the Beat:
Government
People & Population
Region:
National (U.S.)
Visibility:
Public
- Read more about Comments on Fed Agencies' Open Government Plans Due March 19
OSHA Sampling Data Still Unavailable

A former Occupational Safety and Health Administration official requested the data under the Freedom of Information Act in 2005, but was denied. He sued, won in 2007, and now has the data, but OSHA has still not released the data to the public.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet
Topics on the Beat:
Chemicals
Health
Government
Region:
National (U.S.)
Visibility:
Public
- Read more about OSHA Sampling Data Still Unavailable
Forest Service Issues Gag Order to Employees on Talking to Reporters

Monongahela National Forest's public affairs officer recently directed employees there that, if contacted by national reporters on any issue or local reporters regarding national issues, they "cannot talk to the reporter"and suggested that the instructions came from "our Washington office."
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet
Topics on the Beat:
Forests
Government
Region:
National (U.S.)
Visibility:
Public
- Read more about Forest Service Issues Gag Order to Employees on Talking to Reporters
Group Is Releasing Improved Conservation Lands Information

The Trust for Public Land's updated online database includes mapping and a finer level of detail, such as information at the county and parcel levels, for some but not all states as yet.
SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet
Topics on the Beat:
Planning & Growth
Natural Resources
Region:
National (U.S.)
Visibility:
Public
- Read more about Group Is Releasing Improved Conservation Lands Information
Detailed Organic Farm and Ranch Data Available

USDA's first major national survey of U.S. organic farms includes 14,540 farms and ranches that cover 4.1 million acres in 50 states.
SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture
Government
Region:
National (U.S.)
Visibility:
Public
- Read more about Detailed Organic Farm and Ranch Data Available
Study Suggests Important Tradeoffs for Algae Biofuel

University of Virginia researchers find algae-based biofuel uses more energy and water and emits more greenhouse gases than other biofuel sources. However, algae has a high energy yield, and growing it wouldn't significantly affect food crops.
SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet
Topics on the Beat:
Energy & Fuel
Region:
National (U.S.)
Visibility:
Public
- Read more about Study Suggests Important Tradeoffs for Algae Biofuel
Catch Share: Fisheries Management Policy Controversy Heats Up

NOAA's proposal to apply quotas to individual fishing operations, rather than across an entire fishery, lands support from environmental groups, draws opposition from many US fishing operations.
SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet
Topics on the Beat:
Fish & Fisheries
Policy
Region:
National (U.S.)
Visibility:
Public
- Read more about Catch Share: Fisheries Management Policy Controversy Heats Up

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