Jill's Journal: A breath of fresh air
It was like a breath of fresh air.
That’s how I’m going to describe last week’s News Media Day at the Capitol. And I’m giving props to South Dakota Governor Larry Rhoden for that breath of fresh air.
Under Governor Kristi Noem’s leadership, it became nearly impossible for journalists from any news source or form to speak with experts at the state level. You see, any inquiries first had to go through the Governor’s office.
As one may expect, government transparency was thrown out the window.
I shared my one-and-only story with Gov. Rhoden during his meeting the South Dakota NewsMedia Association board of directors, of which I serve on. Since taking office, Gov. Rhoden has said publicly that he wants to be open and accessible and to “reset” the governor’s office working relationship with the state’s press.
We used this face-to-face meeting to stress frustrations SDNA members have experienced. For me, that frustration mounted this past summer. After I was alerted by one of our readers that dead fish were showing up along the shorelines of the Splitrock Creek. I made my call to the Game Fish and Parks office, only to be told to email them my questions, and they would get back to me.
One week went by. Crickets.
The next week, I circled back, and was told my questions had been sent on to the Governor’s office for review.
Then three weeks went by. Still crickets.
It’s now months later, and I still have no inclination of why the fish died.
I wasn’t the only journalist who had a story to share with Gov. Rhoden. As a colleague of mine on the SDNA board wrote in his editorial, “We told the governor that regardless of how routine or mundane the information reporters are seeking may be, state officials have a firm reluctance to comment locally and that all questions must be ‘run up the chain’ to Pierre, resulting in delay responses or no responses whatsoever. We were clear about the difficulties this poses for reporters and editors trying to be factual and up-to-date in their reporting involving state government officials.”
Gov. Rhoden clearly heard what we had to say. He indicated that this should not be the standard operating procedure for the state, while also acknowledging there are times when requests for information to need to be passed up the command chain in various state agencies. In the end, he told us the lines of communication – when appropriate – will be opening.
While I was never able to get an explanation of what caused those fish to die, I am confident that South Dakota’s new “breath of fresh air” – Gov. Rhoden – is willing to give journalists the oxygen that we need.
