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Beware of Running Afoul of Tallahassee's Protocols

March 29, 2016 - 6:00am

Good Lord. Control freaks in state government now have “protocols.”

As I have done for 40 years, I called a legislative committee during the session to get some information for a column. They always have been good sources because they write the bills and do the research on them.

I got the House Education Committee and told the telephone answerer what I wanted. She told me I had to speak to the “press office” and transferred me – to the Speaker's office.

The puzzled person in that office transferred me back to the education committee where, after some griping on my part, I was allowed to speak personally to the committee staff director – a great honor, of course.

When I told her what I wanted (some mundane detail on education funding), I was informed that the Legislature now has protocols and that one protocol is that I must speak to the press office, not directly to the person who (presumably) actually knows what she is talking about.

Having worked in the governor's press office, I explained to her that would involve a day of runaround as the press office called her, got the information I wanted and called me back to give it to me. This, of course, would magnify the possibility of error and inevitably produce new questions that would start the process all over. 

She patiently replied that they have a protocol.

I don't have any clout anymore and I don't know many committee staff members, as I once did, so I'm out of luck in such cases unless I can get one of our legislators to ferret out the information for me.

I realize no one cares about the trials and tribulations of reporters in their quest for information.
But I'm wondering if the Capital Press Corps is now frozen out in the same way in their day-to-day news coverage. And, if so, why they would put up with it, especially with the fetish they have for “government in the sunshine.”

I understand the need politicians have to tailor and control “the message.” But the simple recitation of information is not part of the political message – I hope.

It isn't just state government. When I was a police reporter 50 years ago -- as I told a group of retired cops in a speech last year -- I knew all the cops, read their reports, and raced to crime scenes to interview them.

Nowadays, I don't think many reporters know any cops except the PR person who spoon feeds them whatever information the police want them to have. 

For the life of me, I can't grasp what harm would come from the media talking directly to the person closest to, or the most knowledgeable about, the information needed for a news story.

But that's just me. I only have a hunger for facts and a growing dislike of bureaucracy. I didn't come equipped with protocols, or the patience to tolerate them.

Lloyd Brown was in the newspaper business nearly 50 years, beginning as a copy boy and retiring as editorial page editor of the Florida Times-Union in Jacksonville. After retirement he served as a policy analyst for Florida Gov. Jeb Bush.

Comments

Lloyd, having worked in Tallahassee since 1969, I've seen it get worse in perhaps the last 15 or 20 years. A press secretary for Lawton Chiles started the practice of requiring everything to go through the press office, and I mean EVERYTHING. Bush, Crist and Scott have clamped down harder, to where it's a firing offense to talk to the press unauthorized. I once called a division director to congratulate her on her appointment and wish her well in her new job. Her secretary would not put through the call, said I'd have to call the department press office. I said to just leave her a note then, that Bill had called and wished her well. Hesitantly, the secretary said she thought she could do that, but would still have to notify the press office that I'd left a "congratulations and good luck" message.

As government increases in size and complexity, access to information and to those in power, seems to shrink. One could almost start to believe they have something to hide.

I write a fiscal watchdog blog in Lake County, FL. I am investigating abuses of mobile home park tenants by owners of the parks. Statute chapter 723 governs mobile home parks. I talked to the Director over the DBPR section covering mobile home regulations (Ch. 723) and sent him a list of questions. I have not heard back in a month. I then went to my local Senator, showed him the evidence of abuse by park owners and he called the Secretary over the entire DBPR and asked him to talk to him. The Secty. said he would call back in the afternoon. That was yesterday and he didn't call. So my next step as an activist watchdog is to request a full performance audit of the mobile home section, compliance with Chapter 723, evaluation of funding, and evaluation of whether there is a bias in their work towards park owners and not tenants by the Florida Auditor General. That can take place by one of our five county legislative delegation requesting the audit via the Joint legislative audit committee. Something is being hidden, and needs transparency. Journalists need to interview elected officials about the rebuffs and write editorials and name names. And be sure to bring up this subject of limited access when your editorial board interviews election candidates.

It's called "circling thge wagons" Lloyd; and since you "worked in the Governor's office", you should already understand the term: "It's 'them' against 'us', so just keep treating "them" like "mushrooms" (in the dark and covered with offal). The memory tends to "slip" when you're away from "the center" so long Lloyd. [Maybe you should write a column as to WHY? the political "Elitist Class" have ("to a man") ALL abandoned the 'email choice" of communicating with their constituents and have become so "insulated" against those caring constituents as to be 'appearing' to ALWAYS "circling the wagons" while "twittering nonsensical platitudes")... Or, maybe you should think about watching some old "Western Movies" Lloyd, since you seem to have forgotten that early defensive lesson...

I'll bet it's because the media has distorted statements so much that they can't be trusted to simply report the facts. Present company excepted.

Ding. We have a winner.

It is the national trend to restrict information by frustration. It works. Try calling government to talk to a human without getting their voicemail !! And then never getting a callback. And ONLY one particular person ever has your answers, and that person is always out of the office or in a freaking eternal meeting.

Keep up the great work... the power of the pen is still mightier than sword.. it always has and always will...

I understand what you are saying; however, as a native of Tallahassee I have to point out that your title insinuates that WE in the capital city have any control of what happens in the phallic symbol which is our Capitol building and which is invaded for 3 months each year from Snow Birds from South Florida. Sorry, it's just a pet peeve of mine that the other 250,000 people who live and work here (and grew up here) are labeled as a dirty word when speaking about the government across that street that does not even represent US - here in Tallahassee. Thank you for allowing me to rant. Having worked in legislative affairs, and left it by choice, it is very frustrating to watch what goes on behind the scenes. It is almost as bad as DC.

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