The CDC's Employee Speech Policies
Documents released in our FOIA lawsuit for the CDC's policies on employee speech
This reading room contains all of the documents produced to date in Knight Institute v. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit the Knight Institute filed on April 2, 2020, seeking records relating to restrictions on the ability of CDC employees to speak with members of the press and the public.
Our FOIA lawsuit was prompted by widespread reporting that the CDC has been sidelined in the government’s public response to the COVID-19 pandemic and that the Office of the Vice President has been controlling CDC communications and limiting the ability of CDC scientists to speak to the public or to the press.
On June 9, 2020, the CDC released its first set of documents in response to our request. We received four documents, two of which contained redactions concealing critical details about the role of the Office of the Vice President in controlling CDC communications. We will publish additional documents here as we receive them.
Showing 101–110 of 113
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Email from Robin Cohen re: ALL correspondence with media must now be cleared through Atlanta
Series of emails, including questions and answers, about new media clearance process. Partially redacted.
7/6/2020
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Email from Neda Sarafrazi Isfahani re: ALL correspondence with media must now be cleared through Atlanta
Series of emails about new media clearance process. Partially redacted.
7/6/2020
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Emails from Robin Cohen re: ALL correspondence with media must now be cleared through Atlanta
Series of emails, including questions and answers, about new media clearance process. Partially redacted.
7/6/2020
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Email from Kathy Harben re: new clearance policy for interviews
Series of emails describing new protocols for clearance of media requests for interviews and information from the CDC.
7/6/2020
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Email from Kathy Harben re: new clearance policy for interviews
Series of emails describing new protocols for clearance of media requests for interviews and information from the CDC.
7/6/2020
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Email from Kathy Harben re: new clearance policy for interviews
Series of emails describing new protocols for clearance of media requests for interviews and information from the CDC.
7/6/2020
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Email from Michelle Bonds re: new media clearance policy for all CDC media releases
Email containing new instructions requring clearance of CDC media releases (including press releases, statements, and briefs).
7/6/2020
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Strategic Planning Team Handbook (June 2017)
This Handbook is marked as a "draft for discussion purposes only." It is entirely redacted.
7/6/2020
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2011 CDC Media Relations Policy: Release of Information to News Media
Prior version of CDC's policy on employee communications with the news media.
7/6/2020
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Email from Sam Posner re: Social Media and New Media - Reminder of Policies
Email reminding employees of policies related to social media use and press inquiries, including inquiries related to COVID-19.
7/6/2020