By Warner Todd Huston ——Bio and Archives--June 11, 2012
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There are few government reports that have the wide- ranging impact on the market as the Department of Labor statistics, and we are troubled by the degree of government restrictions on how the press can fully and accurately report this data to the public.Others agreed.
Requiring journalists to draft and publish stories using government owned computers loaded with government-controlled software simply crosses the line the First Amendment clearly drew to separate the press from the government," said Lucy Dalglish, executive director of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press.Another troubling aspect about this new policy is that the change was made out of hand with no period of public comment. Obamas DoL simply made the decision without informing the public or the media ahead of time. This authoritarian aspect of the policy change also raised the eyebrows of some in Congress. As Bridget Johnson reports, Congressman Darell Issa was alarmed over the whole thing saying this unprecedented action has serious freedom of the press implications"
“The abrupt nature of this change, coupled with the absence of a clear explanation and a lack of public input, raises key questions about who made this decision to implement this change and why,” Issa said. “Did that individual have the authority of law?”Issa held a hearing recently and was critical of Labor Secretary Hilda Solis for refusing to come testify sending underlings instead. Ultimately, if you’re the secretary of Labor the buck should stop with you," he said. Others are wondering why any change had to be made at all.
The public has benefited enormously from the process the department currently uses," Rick Blum, coordinator of the Sunshine in Government Initiative, wrote May 8 in a letter to Labor Secretary Hilda Solis. The practice used to this point ensures the simultaneous release of information while also providing time that enables reporters to place the new data in meaningful context. Requiring all journalists to use government-provided software, hardware and dedicated lines would inhibit journalistic independence, and, as the government grows more concerned about cybersecurity, the proposed policy would create a single point of failure," according to the letter.While running for President in 2008, Obama complained about the Bush Administration's lack of transparency. While in office, however, it seems that transparency and a free and open government has been of far less importance to him.
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Warner Todd Huston’s thoughtful commentary, sometimes irreverent often historically based, is featured on many websites such as Breitbart.com, among many, many others. He has also written for several history magazines, has appeared on numerous TV and radio shows.
He is also the owner and operator of Publius’ Forum.