Poynter on the Record

The U.S. Border Patrol says it will no longer provide death and apprehension statistics on a daily basis, instead delaying their release until end-of-month reports. The move angers critics who say the agency must be more responsive to the public.

The agency made the change to save time, said Mario Martinez, a Border Patrol spokesman in Washington, D.C. ...

... Al Tompkins, who teaches media ethics at the Poynter Institute in Florida, said efficiency is not an excuse provided for by the country's open record laws, and the nature of the information at stake mandates a timely release.

"This isn't how many tires they purchased or how many miles they patrolled," Tompkins said. "This is essentially vital life information. I don't see why you withhold that."
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