The New England First Amendment Coalition is pleased to announce its incoming class of fellows for the 2016 New England First Amendment Institute.
This three-day institute is open each year to 25 New England journalists and provides the support and training necessary to become accomplished investigative reporters, well-versed in the freedom of information laws that govern today’s difficult reporting landscape.
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The New England First Amendment Coalition urged the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention today to reconsider proposed policy changes that would severely curtail the right of Maine residents to know the location of disease outbreaks in their communities.
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Read More… from NEFAC Cautions Maine CDC on Dangers of Proposed Health Data Disclosure Restrictions
Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker signed into law today legislation that will improve access to public records and provide recourse to citizens unjustly denied government information.
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Read More… from A Victory for Transparency: Mass. Public Records Reform Bill Signed into Law
Boston City Councilor Michelle Wu filed an ordinance aimed at providing greater transparency on municipal data. Right now, Boston has an open data portal, but the data on that site only shows information obtained through Freedom of Information Act obligations. The new ordinance would resemble other open data policies in cities nationwide, by disclosing datasets without first requiring a FOIA request.
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Read More… from Boston City Councilor Wants Real Open Data For The City
Massachusetts takes pride in liberal politics and technological prowess. But when it comes to government transparency and using technology to connect citizens with government, Beacon Hill has nothing to be proud of.
The state has had terrible difficulty getting its new Heath Care Connector website working, despite years of experience operating an online health insurance exchange, but that’s a topic for another day.
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Read More… from Our View: Flunking the open legislature test
The charge that South Burlington failed to publicly announce a gathering of a quorum of city councilors underscores the need for public officials to be far more aware of appearances.
The open meeting controversy brewing in the City Council also offers a cautionary tale for local politicians who must operate in a hyper-partisan environment.
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Read More… from Voice of the Free Press: When it comes to open government, appearance matter
From New England First Amendment Coalition: The New England Fist Amendment Coalition published its NEFAC Report for November 2013. In this issue: The Diminishing Public View, Barge? What Barge!? Oh, That Barge! Indiegogo Campaign Underway to Fund New England Fist Amendment Institute, and more.
By Rosanna Cavanagh
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From New England First Amendment Coalition: The New England First Amendment Coalition published its latest NEFAC Report. The publication includes: Head scratcher: US marshals say photos would invade VT killer's privacy, ACLU again checks RI school board on failing to open testing talks, MA town sues gaming commission for proposed casino details, NEFAC will honor James Risen with Hamblett Award at annual luncheon, and more.
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From New England First Amendment Coalition: PROVIDENCE, R.I. – James Risen, a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist who's done ground-breaking work on domestic spying and now faces legal peril for refusing to disclose the source for his account of a failed CIA operation in Iran, will receive the 2014 Stephen Hamblett Award from the New England First Amendment Coalition.
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Read More… from NEFAC will honor NY Times’ James Risen with Hamblett Award
