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Alex Howard Profile picture
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17 Mar, 4 tweets, 6 min read
It's frustrating to see an administration @POTUS committed to "truth & transparency" revert to the practice of "senior administration officials" talking with the press.

Why wasn't this briefing on the record during #SunshineWeek, @StateDeptSpox @PressSec? whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/…
Per @NBCNews, the Biden administration is restricting info @CBP staff share with media in an unofficial gag order & denying "ride-a-longs," & US officials aren't going on the record *during #SunshineWeek* nbcnews.com/politics/immig…
@cbptroymiller should host a press conference.
“Senior Administration Officials Preview of National Security Advisor @JakeSullivan46 & @SecBlinken’s Trip to Anchorage, Alaska”
state.gov/senior-adminis…
@StateDept attributes journalists by name in transcripts, but not US officials. That’s not leading by example.
#SunshineWeek
Today in what "senior administration officials" told journalists: twitter.com/search?q=senio…

FWIW, @ReaderCenter on why @NYTimes reporters quote people "on background" instead of insisting on on-the-record, attributed quotes: nytimes.com/2018/08/02/rea…

#SunshineWeek

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Alex Howard Profile picture
18 Mar
Now listening to the 2021 DC #OpenGov Summit. dcogc.org/blog/2021-open…
In past years, the annual #SunshineWeek event was at @PressClubDC. The wifi is (much) better at home, but I miss seeing people. Thanks to @DCOGC for putting this together!
To lead off, @gingermccall asked @councilofdc Members @chenderson & @CMBrookePinto why #opengov is important.

Henderson it's not just posting info online, but helping people to understand & engage, helping govt to be more responsive. Image
#OpenGov is fundamental to everything we do, said @CMBrookePinto, who was at the Office of @AGKarlRacine, including we're doing, why, & what our processes are as we go.

Pinto also said residents should be educated about how to make FOIA requests. cc @councilofdc @DCOPENGOV Image
Read 11 tweets
Alex Howard Profile picture
18 Mar
The @nytimes could have built a social network around subscriber profiles (Remember Times People?), invested in a commenting system & building communities:
mashable.com/2008/09/22/tim…
What @nytfood did: built up a Facebook Group, & left it:

Notable context:
@nytimes @nytfood Per @benyt, kernel of the problem was a @nytimes staffer "moderating comments for Facebook rather than working for the Times."

This POV seems off.

Over the past decade, editors spent time moderating social media as part of their work.
That was labor, & many were told to do it.
IMO, @nytimes would be FAR better off closing group, citing @Facebook's new rules & say it decided not to add the staff it would need to moderate ~77,000 folks (& maybe cite other biz practices), & offer all 3 free months of @nytfood & a warm invitation to comment on recipe pages
Read 4 tweets
Alex Howard Profile picture
17 Mar
Could @VP @AmbRice46 @SamanthaJPower @SpeakerPelosi @SenWarren lead efforts to co-create commitments on anti-corruption with the American people in 2021?
opengovpartnership.org/members/united…
(Enacting laws >> voluntary commitments, but the latter could drive progress.)
#SunshineWeek #OpenGov
It seems inconceivable a @POTUS wouldn't join Merkel, @JustinTrudeau @EmmanuelMacron & other world leaders in a global #opengov partnership the USA founded, under @POTUS44:

…but this @WhiteHouse still hasn't celebrated #SunshineWeek or responded to Q's.
12 years ago, @ObamaWhiteHouse began trying to engage Americans with Change .gov, an @OpenGov44 Initiative, @WeThePeople44, @ChallengeGov, & 3 national #opengov plans for @OpenGovPart.
Record on FOIA + transparency was *mixed*: sunlightfoundation.com/2016/09/02/how… but intent & action mattered
Read 4 tweets
Alex Howard Profile picture
16 Mar
Declassified version of US intelligence report presented to @POTUS45, US officials, Congressional leadership & intel committees on January 7, 2020:
odni.gov/files/ODNI/doc…
When will @ODNIgov release the 2020 & 2021 worldwide threat assessment, @POTUS? cc @PressSec
#SunshineWeek Image
Key Judgement 1: US intelligence community (IC) had no indications any foreign actors tried to alter any technical aspects of the voting process in the 2020 election.

(@POTUS45's lies to the contrary have cost taxpayers ~$519M washingtonpost.com/politics/inter… & our union much, much more) Image
2: IC assesses Putin authorized & Russia conducted influence ops aimed at denigrating @POTUS @JoeBiden's candidacy, supporting @POTUS45, undermining public confidence, & exacerbating division.
Key part of strategy: using proxies to push lies & misinfo

(I assess they succeeded.) Image
Read 5 tweets
Alex Howard Profile picture
3 Mar
Last year, I published a survey of transparency in legislative support agencies, which are exempt from FOIA: firstbranchforecast.com/2020/02/06/foi…
@USCBO & @USGAO were open & responsive.

@librarycongress @USCapitol & @CapitolPolice …were not.

#opengov
@USCBO @USGAO @librarycongress @uscapitol @CapitolPolice Of note: Acting @CapitolPolice Chief testified to Congress she has not held a press conference, & expects she never will: firstbranchforecast.com/2021/03/01/for…
USCP is the least transparent law enforcement entity of its size in the USA, & should be subject to the FOIA: washingtonpost.com/investigations…
@USCBO @USGAO @librarycongress @uscapitol @CapitolPolice The @CapitolPolice budget is $515 million for FY 2021 (~10% of TOTAL Legislative branch funding!) ~2,450 employees, ~2,000 of whom are sworn officers, & is now asking for more $ after the worst leadership & management failure in its history. firstbranchforecast.com/2021/01/06/a-p…
Read 4 tweets
Alex Howard Profile picture
3 Mar
The @opengovpart put the United Kingdom “under review” for failing to involve its public in co-creating an #opengov plan & submitting 2 late.
I remember when OGP restored the US after we released a weak “action plan”
opengovpartnership.org/wp-content/upl…
Wait until OGP learns what @POTUS45 did
When @opengovpart put the US “under review,” who noticed?
Watchdogs had decried corruption & illiberalism; most didn’t participate in the forums.
No far-right media reported “censure.” (Sure wasn’t on Fox.)
After 4th NAP submitted, OGP acted as if US was healthy, & lifted review.
The Biden @WhiteHouse has been silent since January 21 on @OpenGovPart & many #opengov policies, personnel, & programs. @WeThePeople44, the “flagship commitment” under @POTUS44, is gone. @POTUS still hasn’t answered questions about any of it: governing.digital/letters/letter…
Read 7 tweets

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