Biz media say progress made in talks with Labor Department

Business media outlets say they have made progress in talks with the Labor Department in a dispute over how the federal government agency releases economic data to journalists.

An Associated Press story states, “Testifying to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Reuters and Bloomberg News officials revealed little detail about the movement they said has occurred in talks with Obama administration officials.

“Dow Jones and The Associated Press have also participated in the meetings. These news organizations and others have fought the proposal to use federal equipment, arguing that it could allow the government to see unpublished articles and could make the process vulnerable to cyberattacks on government computer systems.

“‘The government would literally own and control the reporter’s notebook,’ Daniel Moss, an executive editor from Bloomberg News, told the lawmakers.

“Until now, data about employment and consumer prices are given to reporters in a department ‘lock up’ room minutes before the official release so they can prepare their stories and then file them when the information is publicly released. News organizations provide their own computers, software and phone lines.”

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