Yesterday, the White House posted a blog item on Monday’s Press Conference held by Press Secretary Robert Gibbs. We love reading blogs at the Foundry – how could we not? But, this should not replace releasing a full transcript of White House press briefings. Previous administrations have posted full, unedited transcripts on the same day. This allows Americans to better understand the policy positions of the White House, especially for those without access to C-SPAN during the day.
Since President Obama has taken office, we have not seen one press briefing transcript or even one personnel announcement. Personnel Announcements are another important tool of transparency, allowing the American public to see who is working in the White House, and decide for themselves if they meet President Obama’s high standards.
Editorializing your own record and avoiding online updates, is not transparent. It does not meet a minimum threshold, yet alone meet President Obama’s greater threshold that he set for himself when he promised a more open and transparent government.
