US — #WeeklyAddress: March 12 —18: Trump administration censors and withholds record number of FOIA requests

According to Associated Press (AP) in a report published on March 12, the federal government has censored, withheld, or informed journalists and the public that they couldn’t find governmental files or records requested under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) more often in the last year than at any point in the past decade. The AP analysis showed the Trump administration received a record number of FOIA requests in its first eight months, though based on the data it is impossible to determine whether the requested files even exist or if federal employees simply gave up their search. Without access to information requested through FOIA, journalists are less equipped to report on the contents of federal records that are not always publicly known but should be legally accessible through the law. This lack of transparency has been common throughout Trump’s presidency, as he has publicly declined to release records of public interest including his personal tax returns or logs of official visitors to the White House. Within the last year, the federal government spent a record of more than $40 million in legal fees defending their decisions to withhold federal files, though in more than one-in-three cases the government went back on its decision to withhold when challenged.

US Air Force releases a memo outlining new restrictions on press access

The US Air Force released a memo on March 1 labeled “Public Affair Guidance” that would put restrictions on press access. The memo obtained by Defense News, a global website and magazine, states, “media embeds, media base visits, and interviews are suspended until further notice.” The regulations will limit the Air Force’s interaction with journalists. Public affair officers and commanders will now be required to go through new training on how to avoid exposing sensitive information before interacting with the press. Even human-interest stories must be cleared at the highest command level. Until spokesmen at lower-levels have been certified, all engagement with the press will be suspended. Former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson received criticism last year for excluding the American press from briefings and travel abroad, and in the fall the Pentagon cut back on the number of journalists allowed to accompany Defense Secretary James Mattis on trips overseas.

News anchor and photographer harassed during a live broadcast

An unidentified man harassed ABC 10News reporter Bree Steffen and photographer Michael Dean Gold on March 12 during a live broadcast in San Diego. Steffen tweeted after the incident that the unidentified man tried to tackle her to get on screen. Despite a broken camera, neither Steffen nor Gold sustained injuries. According to ABC 10News, San Diego’s local ABC affiliate, the attacker’s motive remained unclear but was not related to the content of Steffen’s broadcast. Authorities were contacted and are investigating the incident. Last month, a similar incident involving violence against a journalist took place in Belmont, New York, when a mechanic attacked a reporter and cameraman with a baseball bat during an interview. These acts of aggression directed at journalists on the job are congruent with consistently violent rhetoric against the press coming from high levels of the federal government, including from President Trump himself.

The United States ranks 43rd out of 180 countries in RSF's 2017 World Press Freedom Index after falling 2 places in the last year.