The National Freedom of Information Coalition welcomes its newest member, the Florida Center for Government Accountability.
Barbara A. Petersen, executive director of the Florida Center for Government Accountability, previously served on NFOIC’s Board and as president of Florida’s First Amendment Foundation.
Petersen says the new organization will focus on public access and investigative journalism.
“The Florida Center for Government Accountability gives citizens the necessary tools and information to engage government officials more effectively by helping them better understand what is happening in their local communities and the effect big money has on local politics,” the group’s website says. “Traditional news outlets, particularly at the local level, face pressures never before seen and are increasingly unable to meet the informational needs of the public due to limited and dwindling resources.”
The Florida Center for Government Accountability joins the First Amendment Foundation and the Brechner Center for Freedom of Information at the University of Florida as NFOIC members in the Sunshine State.
The Florida Center for Government Accountability is the third organization to join the NFOIC in 2021. The others are the New York Coalition for Open Government and the First Amendment Coalition in California.
NFOIC is a nonpartisan alliance of nonprofit, citizen-driven state FOI organizations, academic and First Amendment centers, journalistic societies and attorneys working together to protect your right to open government and create greater government transparency.