Apparently government agencies aren’t allowed to know what the press is writing about them …

I’ve been watching as Elon Musk is canceling all the subscriptions that various federal government agencies have to newspapers and industry publications, in theory to stop what he is calling payola to “liberal” press. I am a bit horrified, as having been a Communications Coordinator for years, and knowing how important it is to read the papers to know what is happening on the ground and react. 

Yes, the press does benefit from government subscriptions and it is an important part of their bottom line, but so is sales of gravel and cement to government. Nobody says though that it’s a pay-off to gravel and cement companies when the public works department buys such materials to build a government office building or highway. Good decision making is based on having information, and depriving government of what the press is writing about it doesn’t help it make good decisions.