Name: In a pandemic, Reynolds' lack of transparency further erodes trust in government when it's needed most
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In a pandemic, Reynolds' lack of transparency further erodes trust in government when it's needed most

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The Register's editorialIt’s time for Gov. Kim Reynolds to hold a real news conference.&nbsp;This would not look like her&nbsp;half-hour COVID-19 briefings. Those tend to feature a&nbsp;business owner or&nbsp;political supporter who talks about how great things are going amid a pandemic.&nbsp;The final minutes are dedicated to allowing questions from a few reporters.Iowans need a real meeting with the governor —&nbsp;one in which she and her staff are publicly called on to provide comprehensive answers to questions about the novel coronavirus and the state’s response to it.&nbsp;Reynolds should schedule an entire afternoon for this. Set up a microphone outside, where reporters can be physically present and distanced. Assemble key people in state government near the podium. Require masks. Turn on the cameras.&nbsp;Then Reynolds should take and answer every single question and allow for follow-up questions. It should be a conversation. It may go on for&nbsp;hours. It probably should. There are many unanswered questions.&nbsp;What should school districts do if staff, including bus drivers, cannot work? Who exactly decides&nbsp;which “metrics” will&nbsp;inform&nbsp;the governor's&nbsp;decisions about reopening? Why is she encouraging K-12 schools, but not colleges, to emphasize&nbsp;in-person instruction?&nbsp;Iowans need comprehensive, detailed information as we try to safely navigate our daily lives and make decisions. We are too frequently not getting that information from this governor.some of the challenges media organizations have faced while trying to cover this pandemic.&nbsp;Questions are ignored. Public information requests are not fulfilled. Interviews are refused. Inquiries to state agencies are funneled through the governor’s office. Reporters who dial into news conferences are not called on. Changes are made in how her administration reports data.A news organization unable to get information from the state about hospitalizations of COVID-19 patients had to get an attorney to issue a demand letter.&nbsp;A reporter seeking emails between public employees related to outbreaks at meat-processing plants was asked to pay nearly $10,000.&nbsp;A longtime state public health spokesperson who was recently dismissed “not receiving timely answers and you are getting scripted talking points when you do get an answer.”&nbsp;When the press is&nbsp;shut out, the public is shut out.&nbsp;“People are becoming frustrated about the lack of actual information, whether it’s related to statewide numbers or a particular area,” said Randy Evans, executive director of the Iowa Freedom of Information Council.Evans, who was a longtime Iowa reporter and editor for the Register, told an editorial writer&nbsp;he doesn’t remember ever seeing this lack of transparency from a governor. Former Gov. Robert Ray did things that were not necessarily popular, but he held news conferences answering for his actions. Former Gov. Terry Branstad “knew he was going to get grilled like a cheap steak, but I think he relished it,” Evans said.&nbsp;Then there’s Reynolds, who is too often not personally accessible.“One reason businesses are having a tough go of it is there is no confidence state government has their arms around the problem,"&nbsp;Evans said.&nbsp;"When the public sees government officials tap-dancing around providing answers, then distrust grows and credibility is eroded.”That distrust is especially dangerous during a public health crisis.&nbsp;Many Iowans did not register with the Test Iowa program, which has been&nbsp;heavily promoted by Reynolds as a way to get access to novel coronavirus tests. Perhaps people had understandable concerns about providing personal information to an out-of-state, private company recommended by an actor and awarded a $26 million no-bid contract by the&nbsp;governor.&nbsp;If there’s trepidation about signing up for a possible nose swab, what will Iowans do if Reynolds eventually suggests they roll up their sleeves to be injected with a newly developed vaccine?&nbsp;People need to be able to trust leaders. That is difficult at this moment in history.&nbsp; in early June found only 30% of respondents thought President Donald Trump and his administration have gotten&nbsp;the facts right “almost all” or “most” of the time when it comes to the coronavirus outbreak.Granted, Reynolds has not suggested ingesting disinfectant or a specific drug to ward off the virus, as Trump has, but found only 28% of Iowans approve of her handling of the coronavirus outbreak. She was one of four governors less popular than Trump on this issue. (Those findings contrast with results of a June 7-10 Iowa Poll, when 59% of Iowa adults approved&nbsp;of her handling of the pandemic.)Perhaps the July result&nbsp;reflects&nbsp;Reynolds'&nbsp;refusal&nbsp;to issue a statewide mask mandate, even though masks are proven to reduce transmission of the virus.&nbsp;Perhaps it is because she is pressuring schools to hold classes in person, while libraries and many city buildings are still closed to the public.&nbsp;Perhaps it’s because her administration has not readily informed Iowans about outbreaks at facilities licensed by the state.&nbsp;While Iowans continue to die from&nbsp;COVID-19, Reynolds continues to insist she “trusts” the people of this state to do the right thing to contain spread of the virus.&nbsp;Does she understand many Iowans may not trust her?&nbsp;The road to building trust begins with transparency.&nbsp;

The Register's editorialIt’s time for Gov. Kim Reynolds to hold a real news conference.&nbsp;This would not look like her&nbsp;half-hour COVID-19 briefings. Those tend to feature a&nbsp;business owner or&nbsp;political supporter who talks about how great things are going amid a pandemic.&nbsp;The final minutes are dedicated to allowing questions from a few reporters.Iowans need a real meeting with the governor —&nbsp;one in which she and her staff are publicly called on to provide comprehensive answers to questions about the novel coronavirus and the state’s response to it.&nbsp;Reynolds...

In a pandemic, Reynolds' lack of transparency further erodes trust in government when it's needed most

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