ASNE: BUSH, GORE SILENT ON GOVERNMENT OPENNESS

By: Mark Fitzgerald Candidates Haven't Responded To Repeated Queries





Where do U.S. presidential candidates George W. Bush and Al Gore stand on access to government information, right-to-know laws and privacy rights? The American Society of Newspaper Editors (ASNE) says neither it nor the public knows - because for the first time in 20 years neither candidate responded to repeated requests to their campaigns for their stance on government openness.



ASNE traditionally gathers information ranging from candidates' positions on freedom of information laws to how frequently they plan to hold press conferences if they are elected. The stances are outlined for voters in press releases and articles. But after asking them for more than five months, the campaigns still have not provided the information, ASNE said Thursday.



With digital technology transforming the availability of government information - and raising questions of privacy as well as access - the issues are particularly important in this election, said Anders Gyllenhaal, chairman of ASNE's Freedom of Information Committee and executive editor of The News & Observer in Raleigh, N.C.



"If ever there was a time that candidates ought to be talking about how much information should be getting to the public and what the government's role should be, this is that year," Gyllenhaal said.



ASNE president Richard Oppel, editor of the Austin (Texas) American-Statesman said the recently passed legislation to tighten leaks of classified information - which ASNE and other press organizations have opposed - underscores the importance of knowing the candidates' positions.



"In the face of growing efforts by Congress to choke off the flow of leaks from the U.S. government, ASNE finds it disappointing that neither major presidential candidate has chosen to respond to our questions about their views on freedom of information," he said. "Even this week, press organizations have been working to secure a veto of a bill sought by the Central Intelligence Agency to penalize people who leak 'classified information' - when it is so easy for agencies to designate information as classified."







Mark Fitzgerald (mfitzgerald@editorandpublisher.com) is editor at large for E&P.







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