Dropping the Ball at NASA Aeronautics PAO (Update)
Editor’s update: I finally got a call from Beth Dickey at Aeronautics PAO – after I complained to PAO about zero response from her. I then had to push three times before she began to tell me why I was not invited to the 11 July Aeronautics media event. Why I never got the audio recording of that event is an even sillier story. This is a typical case of lack of coordination, planning, or concern for getting information to those of us who want to get it in front of a wider audience. NASA HQ Aeronautics PAO is inept as far as I am concerned. It is also uncalled for given the excellence that can be clearly seen in other PAO activities at HQ and across the agency.
Earlier notes below.
Editor’s 28 Jul note: Still no response from Beth Dickey, NASA Aeronautics PAO about the Aeronautics media briefing I was excluded from 2 weeks ago. No reason why has ever been provided, despite requests. At that event, she commented that a recording was being made since I was not there. After sending several emails to her, someone else from PAO called and offered me a half hour interview with the Aeronautics AA. That’s nice but: 1. I still do not know what they discussed at the original event and 2. wouldn’t it just be more efficient for them to send me an audio recording than to ask an AA to spend 30 minutes out of his busy day to sit with one member of the news media and try to do the whole thing over again weeks later? It has been 2 weeks and Beth Dickey has not even bothered to reply to my requests. Again, when you see less aero news on NASA Watch than you’d like to see, this is why. I guess I will have to file a FOIA request to get the audio recording.
Editor’s 11 July note: NASA’s Aeronautics Directorate held a lunch time briefing for the Washington area media today. Everyone on the DC media list was invited by Beth DIckey – except me, it would seem. No email, no phone call – nothing. PAO personnel I spoke with were rather surprised that I was not invited by Beth. I only learned about this from another reporter who was leaving NASA HQ as I was about to walk in for another meeting. The next time NASA Watch readers want to complain about lack of aeronautics news at NASA Watch you should have a partial explanation as to why: NASA Aeronautics PAO doesn’t really care if you know what they are doing.
