The Trump administration continues to restrict how federal agencies can communicate with the outside world. Employees with the Department of Health and Human Services and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have been told to suspend much of their communication with scientific partners — as well as the media.
What do these blackouts mean for journalists and citizens? Fernanda Camarena, a faculty member at the Poynter Institute, has been looking at how media gag orders affect the work of journalism and the information that the public gets.
Camarena co-authored the 2024 report “Shut Out: Strategies for good journalism when sources dismiss the press.” The Conversation spoke with her about the consequences of these media blackouts and how they affect journalism and democracy.
This interview aired on The Conversation on Feb. 20, 2025. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m.
