Advocacy

Stonewalled by federal agencies? We want to know.

Across the country, journalists have described being blocked from public datasets, facing extended FOIA delays and losing access to agency experts who were once regularly available for interviews. These aren’t isolated incidents. These incidents signal broader shifts in media policy that deserve close scrutiny.

That’s why the Association of Health Care Journalists is collaborating with the Society of Professional Journalists to document what’s happening on the ground. We’re collecting journalists’ experiences seeking records, data, interviews and other information from federal health agencies as part of a coordinated effort to defend transparency and the public’s right to know.

Through this effort, we’re looking for patterns: Are denials increasing? Are certain agencies becoming less responsive? Are new approval processes slowing down access to experts? With guidance from AHCJ’s Right to Know Committee, we’ll use what we learn to elevate concerns through advocacy, coalition work with other journalism and press freedom organizations, and when necessary — legal action to challenge unlawful denials, delays or interference with news gathering.

Your individual responses will be kept confidential. We will not share them publicly without your consent, and any external use will be aggregated or anonymized to protect contributors.

When journalists can’t access data or speak with public officials, communities lose critical information about health, safety and how taxpayer dollars are spent. If you’re running into new or worsening barriers with federal health agencies, we want to hear from you.