Utah Mayor Bars City Employee Comments

Mayor Randy Watts of Logan, Utah, has one way to make sure city workers are quoted exactly in the local press. He has barred them from talking to reporters.

The Herald Journal, Logan's daily paper, reports that Watts has directed staffers not to respond to reporter questions except with written answers to written questions. "This policy should ensure that information released to the media is accurate and timely and that all appropriate personnel have an opportunity to comment," he told the paper. Local media, a source tells us, are up in arms over this. The mayor has been miffed about some recent coverage by the Herald Journal. -Joe Strupp