Categories: OLD Media Moves

Bloomberg’s FOI requests fail to get documents

Nine of 15 cabinet offices have yet to release details of their out-of-town travel records six months after Bloomberg News filed requests for those documents under the Freedom of Information Act.

Jim Snyder and Danielle Ivory of Bloomberg News write, “Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Energy Secretary Steven Chu and Kathleen Sebelius of the Department of Health and Human Services are among those who haven’t complied.

“The law requires agencies to respond to requests within 20 working days. Watchdogs say the delays show that the president hasn’t fulfilled his promise of greater transparency, and one group found that more than half of 99 federal offices ignored a directive to overhaul the way they respond to filings.

“‘I’m concerned about the overall transparency arc for Obama’s second term,’ said John Wonderlich, policy director at Washington-based open-government group the Sunlight Foundation. ‘Has he given up on that mantle of being the transparency reformer?’

“Bloomberg reporters in June filed requests under the Freedom of Information Act for records on taxpayer-supported travel in fiscal year 2011 for 57 Cabinet departments and major government agencies.”

Read more here.

Chris Roush

Chris Roush was the dean of the School of Communications at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut. He was previously Walter E. Hussman Sr. Distinguished Professor in business journalism at UNC-Chapel Hill. He is a former business journalist for Bloomberg News, Businessweek, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Tampa Tribune and the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. He is the author of the leading business reporting textbook "Show me the Money: Writing Business and Economics Stories for Mass Communication" and "Thinking Things Over," a biography of former Wall Street Journal editor Vermont Royster.

Recent Posts

Indianapolis Biz Journal seeks a news editor

The Indianapolis Business Journal is looking for our next news editor, a role that focuses…

15 hours ago

Axios hires Berkowitz as ME for media and markets coverage

Axios has chosen Ben Berkowitz to be its next managing editor of business and markets.…

19 hours ago

Business Insider hires Ortega as director of newsroom operations

Business Insider editor in chief Jamie Heller sent out the following on Monday: I'm thrilled…

20 hours ago

Rest of World promotes Chandran to deputy editor

Rest of World editor in chief Anup Kaphle sent out the following on Monday: We are excited…

20 hours ago

FT hires Venugopal as India newsletter editor

The Financial Times has hired Veena Venugopal as its India newsletter editor. She has been working at…

21 hours ago

FT taps Parkin to be Middle East and Africa news editor

Benjamin Parkin has been named Middle East and Africa news editor at the Financial Times, based…

24 hours ago