News Releases

RTNDA Calls for Open Government Under Obama Administration

Contact: Stacey Staniak, 202-467-5214 or staceys@rtnda.org

For Immediate Release: November 11, 2008

Washington - The Radio Television News Directors Association joined with other media organizations to call upon President-elect Barack Obama to take immediate steps to insure open government, allow access to information and strengthen the Freedom of Information Act. 

In a letter to the President-elect, RTNDA and the eight other members of the Sunshine in Government Initiative (SGI) outlined four steps the new administration could take that would reverse the climate of secrecy in Washington. 

SGI urges the Obama administration to:

1.    Restore the presumption of disclosure across the executive branch.  Federal agencies should exercise their discretion to withhold information under the Freedom of Information Act only when a foreseeable harm would result from disclosure.

2.    Create an independent, online ombudsman to help citizens access their government. The Obama administration should quickly ramp up the Office of Government Information Services at the National Archives and Records Administration to mediate disclosure disputes.

3.    Ban agencies from proposing or endorsing unnecessary statutory exemptions from disclosure.  Any new laws proposed or supported by the administration to specifically exempt certain information from disclosure should be limited in scope and life and include oversight.

4.    Speak on the record, and urge his senior deputies and aides to do the same, in all statements about policy and current news about public matters.
  
Barbara Cochran, president of RTNDA, said, “President-elect Obama has the opportunity to lead by example and guarantee open government for U.S. citizens. By taking these steps to extend transparency, the new president can reverse a climate of government secrecy that has prevailed for too long.” 

SGI coordinator Rick Blum stated, “These actions would show President-elect Obama intends to fulfill his pledge to restore open government in Washington.”

In addition to RTNDA, the other members of SGI are the American Society of Newspaper Editors, The Associated Press, Association of Alternative Newsweeklies, National Association of Broadcasters, National Newspaper Association, Newspaper Association of America, Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and Society of Professional Journalists.

To read the coalition’s letter, click here.

RTNDA is the world’s largest professional organization devoted exclusively to electronic journalism. RTNDA represents local and network news professionals in broadcasting, cable and other electronic media in more than 20 countries.