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Eleven journalism groups protest FDA interview restrictions
Eleven journalism organizations, ranging from the Society of Professional Journalists to the National Newspaper Association, are demanding an end to a U.S. Food and Drug Administration requirement that restricts interviews with FDA employees.
A letter to FDA officials from the group states that a current restriction requires journalists and FDA employees to obtain permission from an agency official in order to conduct an interview.
"These relatively new practices hinder reporters' ability to learn the truth by inhibiting and sometimes barring employees from providing essential information," the letter states, adding that the group also objects to public information officers listening in on interviews.
"These restrictions have become increasingly widespread in federal agencies and other organizations," Charles Ornstein, president of the Association of Health Care Journalists, which organized the protest, said in a statement about the letter.