January 2, 2008
Indiana Coalition for Open Government, Indiana University School of Journalism collaborated in unique survey of Public Access Counselor users.
Most people who sought formal opinions from the Indiana Public Access Counselor between July 2005 and June 2007 thought the office helped them get access to public records or meetings. But an overwhelming majority also believe the PAC should have the ability to levy fines or issue enforcement actions against public officials who fail to comply with Indiana's access laws. Those are among the key findings of an important survey by ICOG in partnership with the Indiana University School of Journalism.
The study, believed to be the first of its kind involving citizen access offices around the country, was funded through a grant from the National Freedom of Information Coalition. The survey was conducted over the summer by IU's Public Opinion Laboratory, with the results analyzed by lead researcher Dr. Tony Fargo, an ICOG board member and assistant professor at the IU School of Journalism.
The results of the study were released January 2. To read the news release or download the full report, follow the links below:
- PAC Survey News Release (PDF)
- Full PAC Survey Report (PDF)