Brechner Award Goes to Asbury Park Press

Posted on March 24, 2011 by Charles N. Davis

The Brechner Center for Freedom of Information is where I cut my FOI teeth nearly 20 years ago. It’s a great center well worth following! The Asbury Park Press has been named the winner of the 2010 Joseph L. Brechner Freedom of Information Award for exposing questionable use of taxpayer dollars in New Jersey and [...]

Filed under: 1. Records that matter, 2. Doc state of mind, 9. FOI writing & ethics | Tagged: , , , | Leave a Comment »

FOI soundbites: Focus on the key benefit of transparency

Posted on March 1, 2010 by David Cuillier

This morning I talked a little on CNN‘s American Morning show about proposed legislation in some states to make 911 tapes secret (clip). A victim rights person also was on the segment, arguing for the provisions to protect victim privacy. The segment was inspired by a recent Associated Press story on the issue. I made [...]

Filed under: 9. FOI writing & ethics | Tagged: | 1 Comment »

Investigate sexual assaults on your campus

Posted on February 25, 2010 by David Cuillier

The Investigative News Network released its first major project, on the lack of punishment by universities against rapists, based on an incredible amount of records gathering, interviews and surveys. They even explain how you can do the same reporting at your local university. The year-long project, conducted by seven different state and regional investigative reporting [...]

Filed under: 1. Records that matter, 2. Doc state of mind, 9. FOI writing & ethics | Tagged: , | Leave a Comment »

FOI ethics: Weigh benefits and harm on airing 911 tapes

Posted on February 24, 2010 by David Cuillier

A good story today by The Associated Press highlighted the effort underway by some states to close 911 records because of a few media outlets airing distressed callers. I am quoted as saying that it’s important to keep the records open so we can make sure our public safety agencies are working correctly. One government [...]

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College journalists: Get into a doc state of mind in Phoenix

Posted on February 24, 2010 by David Cuillier

This week college journalists will converge on downtown Phoenix for the Associated Collegiate Press national conference, and we hope they won’t want to miss some sessions on accessing public records (check out the incredible program): Mark Goodman, former director of the Student Press Law Center, will do a session on accessing public records, 1-3:45 p.m. [...]

Filed under: 1. Records that matter, 2. Doc state of mind, 3. Access law, 7. Electronic records, 9. FOI writing & ethics | Tagged: | Leave a Comment »

Too much transparency? Yglesias responds

Posted on February 23, 2010 by artofaccessdudes

In a sort of oblique way, the NYT’s David Brooks said recently that maybe too much transparency is a bad thing. Here, Matthew Yglesias, a smart commentator, responds, in the process adding some interesting perspective on the meaning of openness. It’s a discussion worth following…

Filed under: 2. Doc state of mind, 9. FOI writing & ethics | Leave a Comment »

Welcome to The Art of Access!

Posted on February 15, 2010 by artofaccessdudes

Thanks for visiting our site! We hope you will find the information about accessing government documents helpful in your reporting and daily life. Check out the FOI resources above as well as the tips to the left, sorted by beat topic and chapters in our book. If you have any thoughts or suggestions let us know! – [...]

Filed under: 1. Records that matter, 2. Doc state of mind, 3. Access law, 4. Finding records, 5. Request strategies, 6. Overcoming denials, 7. Electronic records, 8. Officials' perspectives, 9. FOI writing & ethics | 1 Comment »

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