AP president proposes media lobby to fight government secrecy

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (AP) - Denouncing increased official secrecy, Associated Press President and CEO Tom Curley unveiled a plan Friday for a media advocacy center to lobby in Washington for open government.

"The powerful have to be watched, and we are the watchers," Curley said, "and you don't need to have your notebook snatched by a policeman to know that keeping an eye on government activities has lately gotten a lot harder."

At every level of government, records are being sealed and requests for information denied, and courts are imposing gag orders and sealing documents, Curley said, speaking in the Hays Press-Enterprise Lecture series.

In the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the news media remained largely silent on important issues, including secret arrests of suspects of Middle Eastern descent and closed deportation hearings, he said.

"That was an extraordinary time for the country," he said. "It's entirely understandable - and reasonable - that the press and public were willing to step back for a time and give the government room to address an unknown and frightening threat."

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how conveeeeeeenient.

to find the source of this problem.

is about to be thrown out of office! As someone said above, how convenient.

what the hell do they need a lobby for?? Just pay some decent reporters to go out and report, fer Chrissakes. A lot cheaper and a better product, too!

more openness but they need to address reality. Government is never open and it's their job to seek out the sources that will allow them some insight as to what goes on behind closed doors. I think they do that. The problem is that they either don't have the balls to report what they know or, like everyone else in the sick society, their will not risk their careers and money is the only grail in their life.
Sorry, I'm rambling but the press really pisses me off.
I think Jefferson was the one who said that given a choice between a government or newspapers, he would choose newspapers every time. The problem is that will only work if the media does their job.
Sadly that's not the case today.

With the recent revelations that networks and papers get threatening calls from the WH if they report anything unfavorable about the maladmin, Keith Olbermann outing the talking points memo on Joe Wilson the other day, and now this, maybe the dam is starting to break.

a little late, but about time.

Showbizz!

Oh sure, now they want to be taken seriously.

How's my hair? oh my god. like whatever.