IMAGE: US DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTUREGovernment science agencies in the United States are doing a better job of giving the press unfettered access to their researchers, but some federal agencies’ media policies still have room to improve, according to a scorecard by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS).
In the new report, the UCS, an independent advocacy group that champions scientific integrity and transparency, scored 15 federal science agencies and two departments on several criteria regarding their media and social media policies. The UCS last did a similar analysis in 2008, and the current scorecard assigns a new grade to each of the organizations, comparing it to their earlier score.
The grading criteria included the presence of whistle-blower provisions, the requirement to have public affairs officers sit in on media interviews, and providing employees with clear and consistent guidance on interacting with the public via social media sites. The UCS interviewed reporters, anonymous government employees at the various agencies, and department officials to augment their analysis.
“You don’t give up your freedom of ...
