NASA
ORG
NASA
Top political appointees in the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) press office exerted strong pressure during the 2004 presidential campaign to cut the flow of news releases on glaciers, climate, pollution, and other earth sciences. The disclosure comes nearly two weeks after the NASA administrator, Michael D. Griffin, called for ''scientific openness'' at the agency. The subject is likely to come up today at a NASA budget hearing before the Science Committee. A central point of division within NASA is how much ''openness'' is appropriate when such expressions conflict with administration policy. To cut the flow of news releases on glaciers, climate, pollution and other earth sciences, top political appointees in the NASA press office are appointed, public affairs officers at the agency say. After the NASA administrator, Michael D. Griffin, called for ''scientific openness'' at the agency, the disclosure comes out. Dr. Griffin, who became administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in April demanded some of the examples which was reported to senior scientists and administrators who are assembling complaints as part of a review of communications policies. At the time, Ms. Cook-Anderson was in charge of managing the flow of earth science news at NASA headquarters.