Bloggers denied Suffolk, Portsmouth VA press releases

When is government transparent enough? Is it enough for a city or county to send press releases to newspapers, hope to get covered, and think that’s enough information for the taxpayers to know? And who makes the decision on when enough information has been distributed- The person hired to disseminate information, or the taxpayers funding the city employee’s salary?

Deme Panagopulos from Suffolk, VA seemed to have a reasonable request when he asked Debbie George, the Suffolk City Communications Director, if he could join the city mailing list to receive press releases. Panagopulos wished to post the information on his blog, Inside Suffolk Virginia, which exists to urge greater transparency within city government. Unfortunately, Ms. George replied that she didn’t consider blogs to be news sources, and if she added one blog, she would have to add other blogs that requested the information.

GASP! Someone had the audacity to ask a city communications person to communicate information to more than the mainstream media??? Outrageous!

Ultimately, this standoff is not about whether a blog is a credible source of information (in most minds, that fight was won years ago), but it is about having an open, transparent government that is responsive and accountable to taxpayers.

Dave Forster from PilotOnline.com quoted Panagopulos: “First of all, we have a city that claims to be open and transparent. I question that at this juncture.”

Alarmingly, blogger Scott White from Scott’s Morning Brew had a similar experience:

I personally received the exact same reaction from Ms. Claudia Cox-Wynn in Portsmouth when I asked her to place me on the mailing list for news releases. “That’s a blog!” she said. “I can’t send you this stuff. I have people to answer to.”

Well I’m sorry folks. This IS the new media. Like it or not.

New media or old- it’s the responsibility of government employees to keep taxpayers as informed as possible on all the ways their money has been/will be/might be/could be/should be spent. Less information available = less citizen oversight and involvement. And we all know the result of that.