In a letter sent yesterday, the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University asked Facebook to amend its terms of service to establish a “safe harbor” for public-interest journalism and research focused on Facebook’s platform. The Knight Institute sent the letter on behalf of journalists and researchers who study Facebook but whose investigations are impeded […]
Category: Uncategorized
Lee County (FL) school board opens private meetings to public
The Lee County school board decided Tuesday that it will allow the public to attend meetings that it has been holding in private for more than a year. The board started having the private meetings in April 2017. They were held after the board’s regular meetings in a break room at the Public Education Center. […]
Read More… from Lee County (FL) school board opens private meetings to public
Cities’ secretive offers for Amazon’s HQ2 are raising concerns for many city leaders
Jared Evans, a member of the Indianapolis City-County Council, is proud that the city is among 20 finalists for one of the most coveted prizes in the country: the planned second headquarters of Amazon. He does, however, have one small question: What financial incentives did his city dangle in front of Amazon? “What have I […]
Read More… from Cities’ secretive offers for Amazon’s HQ2 are raising concerns for many city leaders
Spokane-area Reps. Shea, Volz on group studying open records for Washington Legislature
Two Spokane-area representatives were named to a group trying to develop rules for records the Legislature long believed could be kept private but a judge has ruled should be open to the public. Reps. Matt Shea, of Spokane Valley, and Mike Volz, of Spokane, are the House Republican Caucus choices to sit on a Public […]
News Release – State/Local government FOI audits reveal administrative shortcomings
News Release May 30, 2018 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Daniel Bevarly (239) 823-1811 · dbevarly@nfoic.org State/Local government FOI audits reveal administrative shortcomings Charging different fees for the same public record. Refusing to allow residents to use their cell phones to copy records and save money. The absence of online content to provide necessary information […]
Read More… from News Release – State/Local government FOI audits reveal administrative shortcomings
NFOIC requests Google disable Gmail “self-destructing” feature for government communiqués
News Release May 4, 2018 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Daniel Bevarly (239) 823-1811 · dbevarly@nfoic.org NFOIC requests Google disable Gmail “self-destructing” feature for government communiqués New feature undermines open government and records retention laws The National Freedom of Information Coalition (NFOIC) has contacted Google about Gmail’s new “self-destructing” email feature. The […]
Report Documents Florida’s Lack of Accountability for Public Records Requests
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Report Documents Florida’s Lack of Accountability for Public Records Requests Percent of Requests with Fees and Amount Collected Varies Widely from County to County Gainesville, Fla., April 16, 2018 Despite having some of the most open public records laws in the country, Florida’s lack of accountability […]
Read More… from Report Documents Florida’s Lack of Accountability for Public Records Requests
Recent legislative actions in Kentucky, Iowa and Washington demonstrate urgent need for state FOI and open government reforms
NEWS RELEASE March 23, 2018 Contact: Daniel Bevarly • 239.823.1811 dbevarly@nfoic.org Recent legislative actions in Kentucky, Iowa and Washington demonstrate urgent need for state FOI and open government reforms Existing laws directing state government transparency and accountability to residents are under threat. Three recent actions by state legislatures in Kentucky, Washington […]
National Freedom of Information Coalition to Relocate to the University of Florida
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE National Freedom of Information Coalition to Relocate to the University of Florida NFOIC joins a renowned FOI Center and First Amendment Project at the College of Journalism […]
Read More… from National Freedom of Information Coalition to Relocate to the University of Florida
Editorial – Here’s how the Legislature can make Kansas a better place to live in 2018
Kansas legislators will gather Jan. 8 in Topeka for one of the most crucial legislative sessions since — well, since 2017. The truth is Kansas has faced one governmental crisis after another for much of this decade. Much of the blame lies with Gov. Sam Brownback and his conservative allies, who pushed through a tax cut in 2012 that […]