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 41–50 of 113
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Email from Dagny Olivares re: updated communications and media strategy
Email conveying a draft communications and media strategy plan for COVID-19. The draft is entirely redacted.
7/6/2020
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Email from Dagny Olivares re: updated communications and media strategy
Email discussing revisions to the draft communications and media strategy plan for COVID-19.
7/6/2020
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Email from Dagny Olivares re: Updated Comm & Media Strategy (for ASPA)
Emails discussing revisions to a draft communications and media strategy plan for COVID-19. The attached draft is entirely redacted.
7/6/2020
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Email from Michelle Bonds re: updated communications and media strategy
Emails discussing revisions to the draft communications and media strategy plan for COVID-19.
7/6/2020
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Email from Michelle Bonds re: updated communications and media strategy
Email discussing revisions to the draft communications and media strategy plan for COVID-19.
7/6/2020
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Email from Sara Bedrosian re: draft COVID-19 communications and media strategy guide
Email conveying edits to an attached draft of the CDC's communications and media strategy plan for COVID-19. The attached draft is entirely redacted.
7/6/2020
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Email from Sara Bedrosian re: Request for feedback on Communication Strategy Group
Email conveying a draft communications and media strategy plan for COVID-19. The draft is entirely redacted.
7/6/2020
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Email from Dagny Olivares re: Communication Strategy meeting
Email sharing the draft communications and media strategy plan for COVID-19 after the initial communications strategy meeting. The email is partially redacted and the draft is entirely redacted.
7/6/2020
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Email from Sara Bedrosian re: first COVID-19 communications strategy meeting
Email sharing draft talking points for an initial COVID-19 communications strategy meeting set for February 7, 2020. Partially redacted.
7/6/2020
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Email from Ryan Murphy re: ASPA Playbook
Email from the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Public Affairs, attaching the "latest version" of the ASPA Handbook, dated January 3, 2020. The handbook is described as a "living document."
7/6/2020