When local government goes silent

Call Addison City Hall about a community volunteer or upcoming festival, and officials connect reporters with the right sources. Try the same in neighboring Farmers Branch, and calls go unanswered.

This tale of two cities reveals a deepening divide over government transparency that experts say threatens the foundation of local democracy across America.

In Farmers Branch, a city of nearly 37,000 residents, Branch Herald journalists encounter what officials themselves describe as "defensive" policies designed for traditional television news, not community journalism. City Manager Ben Williamson admits the approach has created barriers.

"Our media policy is very much ingrained with what we traditionally would see reaching out, like WFAA or Fox Four," Williamson said. "So our policy is ingrained in a typical media alignment."

The defensive stance stems from policies created when media contact was rare, "once every couple of months," Williamson said. Now, with local reporters requesting comments regularly, the system hasn't adapted.

"We're getting used to having a neighborhood publication," Williamson said. "The Branch Herald's first publication, I believe, was January 2024. So it's still relatively new to the City of Farmers Branch."

The result: Reporters must file formal public information requests and pay associated fees for basic stories that officials in most cities would discuss freely, city staff have refused interviews about community events and council members have been advised against speaking to local media entirely.

"Sometimes that will be the response from city staff," Williamson confirmed about declining interviews.

Mayor Terry Lynne defended the city's communication efforts, pointing to his monthly newsletter reaching "several thousand residents." He dismissed criticism about transparency as "an insult to not only those that are here, elected officials, but also to city staff."

Yet Lynne acknowledged the restriction on council communication. When asked about officials being advised not to speak to the Branch Herald, he deflected, "I think that would probably be a question for Ben."

The mayor also expressed concern about "journalistic integrity," citing past negative experiences of publications other than the Branch Herald. "When you don't talk to the principals that are involved in the story, I view that as a problem," he said.

A few miles north, Addison takes a different approach. The town of about 17,000 residents views transparency as essential to democratic governance.

"We think it's critically important," said City Manager David Gaines. "I think having an open, accessible government is really the cornerstone of having a healthy community and having folks involved. I think local journalism plays a big role in that."

Gaines says media requests flow through Marketing and Tourism Director Mary Rosenbleeth, who connects reporters with appropriate officials.

"We love that," Gaines said about local media interest. "We really do believe local media is very important and helps connect us to our residents."

The contrasting approaches reflect broader challenges facing American democracy, according to journalism and open government experts who say recent years have witnessed unprecedented attacks on press access.

"When you deny media access to basic information, you're denying the public access to basic information," said Robert Jensen, emeritus professor in the School of Journalism and Media at the University of Texas at Austin. "Without organized media whose job it is to provide that information, the people suffer."

Jensen, author of "It's Debatable: Talking Authentically about Tricky Topics," argues that public officials now feel "license to express contempt for journalists" in ways that would have been unthinkable decades ago. "This is a stunning shift," Jensen said. "But I think it's important to recognize that contempt for journalists really means contempt for the public."

Kelley Shannon, executive director of the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas, says transparency builds public trust. Shannon, who spent three decades as a journalist covering state government for the Associated Press and Dallas Morning News, sees the stakes clearly.

"The most enlightened cities understand that communicating with the public and you as a news organization are representing the public," Shannon said. "It's about transparency and building public trust."

Under Texas law, while public meetings must be open and certain records accessible, officials are not legally required to provide interviews beyond statutory minimums. However, Shannon emphasized that elected officials retain individual rights to communicate with constituents.

"It's not up to a mayor or city manager or a city attorney to tell them not to speak to journalists," she said. Shannon emphasized that elected officials, including Farmers Branch City Councilmembers, have a responsibility to communicate with the public.

The stakes couldn't be higher. Jensen warns that "there's no guarantee that meaningful deep democracy is gonna survive this" combination of declining media business models and political attacks on journalism.

Yet Shannon finds cause for optimism in Texas's strong open government laws and officials who embrace transparency. "The local governments that are forthcoming with information and don't have anything to hide and communicate, they usually build public trust a lot better than those who don't."

Change may be coming for Farmers Branch. Williamson acknowledged that policies designed for a different media landscape need updating. "Maybe the policy needs to be changed," he said. "But until we change the policy, it's going to feel like you're hitting that wall."

In an effort to build a better relationship with local journalists, Williamson and Deputy City Manager Jawaria Tareenrecently took Branch Herald reporters on a tour of the city, providing insight and background into city management issues and ongoing projects. The gesture represents a departure from the city's traditionally defensive stance and suggests a willingness to engage more directly with community media.

Whether such efforts can bridge the gap between administrative goodwill and systemic policy change remains to be seen. But for Farmers Branch residents, the consequences are real. Jensen warns that without access to government information, "citizens are incapable of fulfilling their role in a democratic system." Every unanswered question about city business, every council member silenced by administrative directive, represents that lost capacity.

Addison proves an alternative exists. The question is whether Farmers Branch will choose it.