Federal Government Seen As Incresingly Secretive

NATIONAL OPINION POLL FINDS PRIVACY CONCERNS RISING

WASHINGTON – By Thomas Hargrove/SHNS –(ENEWSPF)– Americans increasingly suspect the federal government has become cloaked in secrecy, a concern they don't have with their local and state governments.

People also overwhelmingly believe that their federal leaders have become sneaky, listening to telephone conversations or opening private mail without getting court permission, according to a survey of 1,008 adults commissioned by the American Society of Newspaper Editors for national Sunshine Week, March 11-17.

By a 2-1 margin, people want FBI agents and other investigators to obtain search warrants before monitoring private communications, even if they suspect terrorism. And more than a quarter of the people in the survey said they suspect their own phone calls and letters have been intercepted.

The poll, conducted by Scripps Howard News Service and Ohio University, found that concerns about federal secrecy are rising.

Twenty-five percent believe the federal government is either "very open" or "somewhat open," while 69 percent said it's either "somewhat secretive" or "very secretive."

That's a shift from a similar poll last year, when 33 percent thought the federal government was open and 62 percent thought it was secretive. About 6 percent and 5 percent were undecided in the 2007 and 2006 polls.

"This is quite disturbing news," said David Westphal, Washington editor for McClatchy Newspapers and co-chairman of ASNE's Freedom of Information Committee. "When only 25 percent of the people consider theirs is an open government, that's a real problem in a democracy."

The perception of secrecy has not eroded public confidence in other levels of government. A clear majority said they believe their local and state governments are open to public scrutiny.

"That is an accurate assessment and it's absolutely true," said Lucy Dalglish, executive director of the Reporters Committee for the Freedom of the Press. "By and large, state open-records laws are more progressive and user-friendly than anything we are seeing on the federal level these days."

Respondents in the poll were told: "President Bush has said the FBI and other federal officials need greater freedom when investigating suspected terrorists. Do you think federal investigators should get permission from a federal judge before opening mail or monitoring telephone calls, or should they be allowed to do so without permission?"

Sixty percent of the adults in the poll said federal authorities should consult a judge before monitoring Americans' telephones and mail, while 31 percent said agents should act without judicial permission in cases of terrorism. Nine percent were undecided or gave other responses, such as: "It depends on the circumstances."

A total of 28 percent said it's either very likely or somewhat likely that their own mail and telephone calls have been intercepted.

"The pendulum has finally started to swing back," said Dalglish. "People are coming to realize that secrecy is rampant and our civil liberties have been messed with."

However, adults in the poll were deeply divided on whether the press should report on government actions even when their own privacy is at issue. Forty-six percent said they approve of the disclosure that the National Security Agency had been monitoring international telephone calls without permission from a court, and 45 percent said they disapprove. Nine percent were undecided.

"This is a complex issue with a range of views. Different people hold different levels of respect for the watchdog role of journalism," said Robert Steele, who teaches press-ethics issues at the Poynter Institute. "Editors must constantly make judgments on how much information should be given to the public."

Only 43 percent approved of press reports that the CIA has used electric shock and water torture during interrogations, 41 percent approved of disclosure that the CIA operated secret prisons in Eastern Europe and 38 percent approved of the press requiring disclosure of the identities of most of the enemy combatants held at a special prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

"I'm not surprised that there is sharp disagreement about this," said Westphal. "The decisions that editors make about what to publish in national security matters are very, very difficult to make. And they are subject to scrutiny and a fair amount of criticism by the administration."

The survey found that support for news-media decisions to disclose questionable government operations rose substantially among better-educated Americans. Almost two-thirds of people who have continued their college education beyond a bachelor's degree said they approve of the disclosure of the NSA domestic spying program.

The survey was conducted by telephone Jan. 21 through Feb. 5 under the supervision of Guido H. Stempel III, director of the Scripps Survey Research Center at Ohio University. The poll was sponsored through a grant from the Scripps Howard Foundation.

The poll has a margin of error of 4 percentage points.

Sunshine Week is a national initiative to open a dialogue about the importance of open government and freedom of information. Participants include print, broadcast and online news media, civic groups, libraries, non-profits, schools and others interested in the public's right to know. Sunshine Week is led by ASNE and is supported by a grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

The following are selected findings from a poll of 1,008 adult residents of the United States interviewed by telephone from Jan. 21 through Feb. 5 by the Scripps Survey Research Center at Ohio University. This survey was commissioned by the American Society of Newspaper Editors as part of its National Sunshine Week observances.

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Here are some questions about whether you feel government in America is open and transparent or whether you think government is closed and secretive.

When talking about the local government in your community, do you think local government is very open, somewhat open, somewhat secretive or very secretive?

Very Open	21 percent
Somewhat Open	39 percent
Somewhat Secretive	22 percent
Very Secretive	12 percent
Don't Know	6 percent

How about your state government? Is it is very open, somewhat open, somewhat secretive or very secretive?

Very Open	13 percent
Somewhat Open	40 percent
Somewhat Secretive	26 percent
Very Secretive	14 percent
Don't Know	7 percent

How about the federal government based in Washington, D.C.?

Very Open	7 percent
Somewhat Open	18 percent
Somewhat Secretive	32 percent
Very Secretive	37 percent
Don't Know	6 percent

President Bush has said the FBI and other federal officials need greater freedom when investigating suspected terrorists. Do you think federal investigators should get permission from a federal judge before opening mail or monitoring telephone calls, or should they be allowed to do so without permission?

Get Permission	60 percent
Allow Without Permission	31 percent
Don't Know/Other Response	9 percent

How likely do you think it is that the federal government has opened mail or monitored telephone conversations of people in the U.S. without first getting the permission from a federal judge? Is it very likely, somewhat likely, somewhat unlikely or very unlikely that the federal government has done these things without permission from a federal judge?

Very Likely	63 percent
Somewhat Likely	18 percent
Somewhat Unlikely	6 percent
Very Unlikely	5 percent
Don't Know/Other Response	8 percent

How likely do you think it is that the federal government has opened your mail or monitored some of your telephone conversations?

Very Likely	11 percent
Somewhat Likely	17 percent
Somewhat Unlikely	16 percent
Very Unlikely	46 percent
Don't Know/Other Response	10 percent

In the past year, news organizations have reported about secret programs by the federal government. Please tell me if you approve or disapprove of the press for making these things public.

So, do you approve or disapprove of the press disclosing that the National Security Agency has monitored international telephone calls without a judge's permission?

Approve	46 percent
Disapprove	45 percent
Don't Know/Other Response	9 percent

Do you approve or disapprove of the press filing a lawsuit to force the federal government to release the names of most of the enemy combatants held at the special prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba?

Approve	38 percent
Disapprove	51 percent
Don't Know/Other Response	11 percent

Do you approve or disapprove of the press for disclosing that the CIA operated secret prisons in Eastern Europe?

Approve	41 percent
Disapprove	48 percent
Don't Know/Other Response	11 percent

Do you approve or disapprove of the press for disclosing that the CIA has apparently used severe interrogation methods such as electric shock or so-called "water boarding" in which a suspect fears he may drown?