Treatment of the Press and Public by Pruitt’s EPA is Shameful

“The treatment of reporters at today’s EPA summit on contaminants was a disgrace, but not a surprise. The Trump administration — and Mr. Pruitt’s EPA in particular — have shown a repeated disregard for the role of a free press and the public's right to information about their government. Beyond the Beltway, the real losers are the American people, whose health is threatened when the EPA shrouds itself in secrecy. 

“Even at a scientific conference, intended to find answers and educate the public about a serious drinking water contamination problem, we see the influence of Pruitt’s style of secrecy and entitlement. Access to the event was unreasonably limited, select reporters were barred from covering the event, and ‘EPA guards’ forcibly removed a reporter when she attempted to talk to government officials.   

“This summit’s blatant lack of transparency came after reports about EPA and the White House blocking the publication of a related federal health study on water-contamination. 

“The public has a right to know what EPA is doing. Shielding reporters from such a critical forum means fewer people will know about hazardous chemicals in their water systems. That EPA opened the summit after the altercation and public outcry demonstrates that there was no reason to have it closed in the first place.

“And under Pruitt’s leadership, the EPA has become a combat zone for for the media.

• Withholding Pruitt’s schedule from the media (a first for the EPA)
• Forcing reporters to file Freedom of Information Act requests for routine information
• Asking a radio host not to take listener calls when interviewing Pruitt
• Blacklisting reporters and networks from other major policy announcements
• Inviting Fox News to cover a Pruitt announcement in Kentucky, but telling a New York Times reporter he would not be there
• Having the police remove a reporter from an Iowa event with Pruitt that other reporters were allowed to attend
• Threatening to call the police on reporters trying to cover a 2017 North Dakota trip with Pruitt 
• Cutting an AP reporter from its email list, and attacking him for “rarely” opening positive emails about Pruitt.
• Issuing press releases to attack reporters, including an AP reporter who reported on environmental threats from Hurricane Harvey that the EPA had not yet found.
• Accusing reporters of stealing work from other outlets
• Responding to a list of questions from a New York Times reporter by calling him ‘biased and ’writing elitist click bait.’
• Hiring a political opposition research firm to provide “war room”-style monitoring of media coverage of the EPA

“It’s time for Congress to take a look at how the EPA is fulfilling its responsibilities to provide information to the public.”

-    Eric Pooley, Senior Vice President, Strategy and Communications, Environmental Defense Fund