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FOI FYI: SPJ’s FOI Committee Blog
— Oklahoma State University wins SPJ’s National Black Hole Award
— North Carolina paper Cherokee Scout withdraws request for gun records, grovels for forgiveness
— University of Wyoming will make presidential finalists public, despite new law

FOI Committee
This committee is the watchdog of press freedoms across the nation. It relies upon a network of volunteers in each state organized under Project Sunshine. These SPJ members are on the front lines for assaults to the First Amendment and when lawmakers attempt to restrict the public's access to documents and the government's business. The committee often is called upon to intervene in instances where the media is restricted.

Freedom of Information Committee Chair

Linda Petersen
Managing Editor
The Valley Journals
801-254-5974 X 17
E-mail
Bio (click to expand)

Linda Petersen is the managing editor of The Valley Journals, a group of 15 free, total market coverage, monthly community papers in the Salt Lake Valley, Utah.

She is president of the Utah Foundation for Open Government, a citizen coalition that works to educate and advocate for open government.

A past president of the Utah Headliners pro chapter, she is currently the chapter’s FOI officer and treasurer.

For her open government advocacy, she has received the Utah Press Association John E. Jones Award, the Utah Headliners Clifford P. Cheney Service to Journalism Award and the Howard S. Dubin Outstanding Pro Chapter Member Award.

Home > Freedom of Information > Sunshine Week > Quotable FOI Studies and Reports

Quotable FOI Studies and Reports

Here are studies and reports that might lend facts and support for your editorials or stories regarding freedom of information. Check them out!

Sunshine Week

Mediated Access: Journalists’ Perceptions of Federal Public Information Officer Media Control [PDF, 201 KB]

On the eve of Sunshine Week 2012, a survey of journalists who cover federal agencies found that information flow in the United States is highly regulated by public affairs officers, to the point where most reporters considered the control to be a form of censorship and an impediment to providing information to the public. According to a survey of 146 reporters who cover federal agencies, conducted by the Society of Professional Journalists in February 2012, journalists indicated that public information officers often require pre-approval for interviews, prohibit interviews of agency employees, and often monitor interviews. Read the rest of the report, presented by SPJ's Carolyn Carlson, David Cuillier and Lindsey Tulkoff, here [PDF, 201 KB].

Sunshineweek.org:
Most recent posts
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Resources
— Sunshine Week Web site
— Chapter FOI program ideas
— Campus FOI resources
— FOI activities for newsrooms
— Writing about FOI
— Quotable expert sources
— FOI studies and reports
— Curriculum and classroom ideas for teachers
— FOI resources
— Sunshine Week Logos

Also...

SPJ's Black Hole Award: The Society of Professional Journalists launched the Black Hole Award this year to highlight the most heinous violations of the public's right to know. By exposing examples of unnecessary and harmful secrecy, we hope to educate the public to their rights and hold government accountable. The Freedom of Information Committee accepted nominations for 2010 violations, coordinated by committee member Mike Farrell of the University of Kentucky, and selected the winner along with five runners-up. This award will be handed out annually during national Sunshine Week. Click here to read about this year's winner and the five runners-up.

Reporter’s Guide to FERPA: Navigating the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act: Ever have a tough time getting public records from schools or universities? We feel your pain and are here to help you. The federal Family Education Rights and Privacy Act has been twisted beyond recognition, keeping school lunch menus, graduation honors and athletic travel records secret. Take back your right to information with this guide, produced by the Society of Professional Journalists in conjunction with the Georgia First Amendment Foundation.

FOI not a media issue
This study by the Coalition of Journalists for Open Government showed that only 6 percent of FOIA requests are submitted by journalists. About two-thirds are submitted by commercial interests and the rests by citizens and non-profits. In another study by the conservative Heritage Foundation, only 5 percent of requests were found to be from journalists. These studies show that the issue isn’t about the government vs. media. It’s about citizens and the economy!

Secrecy Report Card
A great summary of the state of secrecy today at the federal level is produced annually by OpenTheGovernment.org.

Longer waits for less information
The Coalition of Journalists for Open Government produced a report showing how federal agencies are increasingly taking longer to respond to FOIA requests and providing less. Also, The National Security Archives studied delays in access in a 2003 report, and then followed it up in 2007 with another report showing the oldest pending FOIA request (20 years) among others.

Mediation and ombudsman
A 2007 report, “Mediation without Litigation,” by Harry Hammitt for the National Freedom of Information Coalition describes state models for informal resolutions and mediation for FOI disputes.

Homefront Confidential
The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press extensively documented the extent of secrecy since 9/11 in its large 2005 online report.

Access to court records
Harry Hammitt produced a 2006 report examining access to court records since 9/11.

Comparing state laws
Two studies rank the states’ open record laws and their openness. Check out the study by the Investigative Reporters and Editors and the Better Government Association and the 2007 report by the National Freedom of Information Coalition.

Universities’ lack of compliance
A variety of studies have shown that universities often don’t comply with the Campus Security Act (a.k.a. Clery Act or Buckley Amendment) in reporting crime on campus. For example, check out a 2004 five-state study by Washington State University’s AccessNorthwest.

Public attitudes toward access
A half dozen public opinion surveys have focused on citizen attitudes toward FOI and press access to public records. For details, contact SPJ FOI Committee Chairman David Cuillier and see summaries of national surveys: at http://www.wsu.edu/~accessnw/news/survey.htm and http://www.sunshineweek.org/sunshineweek/scrippspoll07.

Click here to contact the Project Sunshine Chair in your state.