The Trump Administration’s actions threaten the government’s ability to produce reliable statistics about the economy, population growth, employment and other areas of life.
As we celebrate Sunshine Week, SABEW’s First Amendment Committee reminds our members that economic data is part of the public record. We join the American Statistical Association, National Bureau of Economic Research, Population Reference Bureau, and others in urging citizens to #StandWithData.
They can do so by contacting their members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, and President Donald Trump.
Data is meant to be objective, not political (see links below). Our leaders shouldn’t be afraid of the agencies and their civil servants whose work tracks developments in the economy and society at large.
As business journalists, we rely on data to help tell the story of commerce and finance. Businesses, nonprofits and governments rely on data to make decisions.
The president and Congress must ensure that the Census Bureau, Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, offices within the Agency for International Development (which supports the collection of world population statistics), and other data-producing agencies have enough funding and staffing to carry out their important work.
We urge our colleagues to #StandWithData.
SABEW is the largest association of business journalists. The nonprofit organization advocates for the protection of the First Amendment and a free press.
https://www.opb.org/article/2025/03/13/alarms-grow-about-the-reliability-of-economic-data/
