1. JO807: Advanced Journalism Research JO807: Week 13 “Freedom of Information Act” and the WWW

2. 2 Much of this material is drawn from Prof. Wendell Cochran’s work at http://www.soc.american.edu/journalism/wendell/class_notes/law/foia/ - Week XIV © J.T.Johnson 2001 _____________________________ Courts recognize few access rights  “Neither the First Amendment nor the Fourteenth Amendment mandates a right of access to government information or sources of information within the government’s control” U.S. Supreme Court (Houchins v. KQED)

3. 3 Much of this material is drawn from Prof. Wendell Cochran’s work at http://www.soc.american.edu/journalism/wendell/class_notes/law/foia/ - Week XIV © J.T.Johnson 2001 _____________________________ Access to government documents  Federal access governed by the Freedom of Information Act  State access laws vary considerably  Florida, for example, open  Massachusetts relatively open; First FOIA law in Massachusetts in 1854  Each state’s law varies  NOT the same as “open meeting” laws

4. 4 Much of this material is drawn from Prof. Wendell Cochran’s work at http://www.soc.american.edu/journalism/wendell/class_notes/law/foia/ - Week XIV © J.T.Johnson 2001 _____________________________ Federal FOIA history  1947 Administrative Records Act  agencies given control  1966 FOI Act  presumption that records are open  1974 Privacy Act  new restrictions on information release  1986 FOIA Reform Act  changes in fees, among other issues  1996 EFOIA  Gives requester more control over format  Internet publication of some records

5. 5 Much of this material is drawn from Prof. Wendell Cochran’s work at http://www.soc.american.edu/journalism/wendell/class_notes/law/foia/ - Week XIV © J.T.Johnson 2001 _____________________________ Key elements of FOIA  Presumption of openness  Sets deadlines/fees/other disclosure procedures  Establishes appeals procedure  Establishes exemptions

6. 6 Much of this material is drawn from Prof. Wendell Cochran’s work at http://www.soc.american.edu/journalism/wendell/class_notes/law/foia/ - Week XIV © J.T.Johnson 2001 _____________________________ FOIA coverage  Executive branch agencies  Covers records  Can’t force agency to create ‘new’ record  Can’t force agency to compile information  Congress exempted  Courts exempted

7. 7 Much of this material is drawn from Prof. Wendell Cochran’s work at http://www.soc.american.edu/journalism/wendell/class_notes/law/foia/ - Week XIV © J.T.Johnson 2001 _____________________________ Agency requirements  Provide an index of records kept  Publish organizational manuals  Publish final opinions in cases  Annual report on FOIA activities  List FOIA contacts in various offices

8. 8 Much of this material is drawn from Prof. Wendell Cochran’s work at http://www.soc.american.edu/journalism/wendell/class_notes/law/foia/ - Week XIV © J.T.Johnson 2001 _____________________________ FOIA exemptions  Nine exemption categories  Documents classified for national security reasons  Internal personnel rules and practices  Documents exempted by statute  Trade secrets  Inter/intra-agency materials (executive privilege)  Personnel and medical records  Records “compiled for law enforcement purposes”  Information used in regulating financial institutions (bank examination reports)  Geological information about oil wells, water resources

9. 9 Much of this material is drawn from Prof. Wendell Cochran’s work at http://www.soc.american.edu/journalism/wendell/class_notes/law/foia/ - Week XIV © J.T.Johnson 2001 _____________________________ The big three exemptions  National security  Records used in investigations  Privacy

10. 10 Much of this material is drawn from Prof. Wendell Cochran’s work at http://www.soc.american.edu/journalism/wendell/class_notes/law/foia/ - Week XIV © J.T.Johnson 2001 _____________________________ Deadlines under FOIA  Law says…  20 working days for request  can be extended in “unusual circumstances”  need to collect data from field  voluminous data  need to consult other agencies  20 working days for appeal  Reality says … good luck

11. 11 Much of this material is drawn from Prof. Wendell Cochran’s work at http://www.soc.american.edu/journalism/wendell/class_notes/law/foia/ - Week XIV © J.T.Johnson 2001 _____________________________ Fees  Agencies may charge “reasonable” fees for searching and copying  Fees may be waived if information will be used in public interest  agency discretion  Journalists/academics receive automatic waiver of search fees  Automatic waiver of first 100 pages of copying fees

12. 12 Much of this material is drawn from Prof. Wendell Cochran’s work at http://www.soc.american.edu/journalism/wendell/class_notes/law/foia/ - Week XIV © J.T.Johnson 2001 _____________________________ News media’s standing  Requests get expedited handling if  made by a person primarily engaged in disseminating information to the public  information is “urgently needed to inform the public concerning some actual or alleged government activity.”  requests will not be expedited merely because the requester is a representative of the news media.  Justice Department also expedites requests  when the subject is of widespread and exceptional media interest  and the information sought involves possible questions about the government's integrity which affect public confidence.

13. 13 Much of this material is drawn from Prof. Wendell Cochran’s work at http://www.soc.american.edu/journalism/wendell/class_notes/law/foia/ - Week XIV © J.T.Johnson 2001 _____________________________ EFOIA  Requires indexes to be published electronically  Requires electronic access to granted requests  Requires agencies to comply with requester’s choice of format

14. 14 Much of this material is drawn from Prof. Wendell Cochran’s work at http://www.soc.american.edu/journalism/wendell/class_notes/law/foia/ - Week XIV © J.T.Johnson 2001 _____________________________ FOIA on the web  Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press http://www.rcfp.org/ Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press  How to Use the Federal FOIA Act http://www.rcfp.org/foiact/index.html How to Use the Federal FOIA Act http://www.rcfp.org/foiact/index.html  U.S. Dept. of Justice “Freedom of Information” site http://www.usdoj.gov/04foia/index.html http://www.usdoj.gov/04foia/index.html  Example of Federal Agency and FOIA info: FAA’s FOIA site http://www.faa.gov/aad/foia/foia.htm FAA’s FOIA site http://www.faa.gov/aad/foia/foia.htm

15. 15 Much of this material is drawn from Prof. Wendell Cochran’s work at http://www.soc.american.edu/journalism/wendell/class_notes/law/foia/ - Week XIV © J.T.Johnson 2001 _____________________________ States Open Records/ FOIAs  Marion Brechner Citizen Access Project (MB-CAP) http://www.jou.ufl.edu/brechner/state- access.htm Provides links to official state sites. http://www.jou.ufl.edu/brechner/state- access.htm  Society of Professional Journalists http://www.spj.org/foia/ Society of Professional Journalists http://www.spj.org/foia/  FOI Advocacy Groups Contacts http://www.spj.org/foia/foiresources/advocacy/i ndex.htm FOI Advocacy Groups Contacts

16. 16 Much of this material is drawn from Prof. Wendell Cochran’s work at http://www.soc.american.edu/journalism/wendell/class_notes/law/foia/ - Week XIV © J.T.Johnson 2001 _____________________________ Other FOIA resources  FOIA Group, Inc. FOIA Group, Inc. http://www.foia.com/  National Freedom of Information Coalition http://www.reporters.net/nfoic/web/index.htm http://www.reporters.net/nfoic/web/index.htm

17. 17 Much of this material is drawn from Prof. Wendell Cochran’s work at http://www.soc.american.edu/journalism/wendell/class_notes/law/foia/ - Week XIV © J.T.Johnson 2001 _____________________________ Rules of thumb (or hand) for getting data BEFORE FOIA….  Start with person who actually KNOWS the what and where of the data - file format - fields and codes - storage and retrieval media  Make sure you know what you are asking for – 1.Who’s FOIA officer 2.index of records

18. 18 Much of this material is drawn from Prof. Wendell Cochran’s work at http://www.soc.american.edu/journalism/wendell/class_notes/law/foia/ - Week XIV © J.T.Johnson 2001 _____________________________ Rules of thumb (or hand) for getting data BEFORE FOIA ….  Politely, respectfully ASK for the data  Pursue up through the chain of command, if necessary.  Get supporting opinion from gov’t legal authority, i.e. city attorney will know the law; bureaucrat might not  Check for similar requests and allies in request mission

19. 19 Much of this material is drawn from Prof. Wendell Cochran’s work at http://www.soc.american.edu/journalism/wendell/class_notes/law/foia/ - Week XIV © J.T.Johnson 2001 _____________________________ Rules of thumb (or hand) for getting data BEFORE FOIA ….  Study form of FOIA letters  Be as specific as possible while general enough to promote serendipity  Keep multiple copies of EVERYTHING in multiple places

20. JO807: Advanced Journalism Research JO807: Week 13 “Freedom of Information Act” and the WWW