In a case that spanned decades, a federal judge has ordered the FBI to pay nearly a half-million in legal fees for holding back documents a journalist requested.

According to the First Amendment Center, Seth Rosenfeld had to file two lawsuits to obtain documents detailing the FBI’s investigation of campus protests at the University of California Berkley in the 1960s. U.S. Judge Edward Chen ruled that the documents should have been released under the Freedom of Information Act.

Rosenfeld has used FBI documents to write articles on the investigations of protestors, and recently published the book Subversives: The FBI’s War on Student Radicals, and Reagan’s Rise to Power.

The $470,000 will be paid to the First Amendment Project of Oakland, which represented Rosenfeld.

Without a proper criminal penalty for violating open-government laws, attorney’s fees are the only way to punish agencies that refuse to release information.

‘Never Seconds’ gets a second chance

The Argyll and Bute Council in Scotland recently reversed its decision to ban 9-year-old Martha Payne from taking pictures of her school lunch after a global response to their June 15 decision.

Payne, who with her NeverSeconds blog was bringing awareness to the poor-quality lunches in her school, says the food quality improved during her coverage. Her daily blog posts from Lochgilpead, Scotland,  featured a picture of the day’s food (hand-drawn if she forgot her camera – see June 11 post) and a health and food-o-meter grade for each meal. Lunch eaters from around the world also wrote in with posts on their school’s lunches.

The Council initially banned Payne from taking pictures because they said the school’s caterers were afraid of getting fired. However, after protests came in, including appeals from celeb chefs Nick Nairn and Jamie Oliver, the Council reversed course.

Council leader Roddy McCuish announced they would withdraw the ban. He said, “It’s a good thing to do, to change your mind, and I’ve certainly done that,” the Daily Mail reported.

Martha’s father, Dave Payne, who has supported his daughter’s blogging,  said Martha is upbeat about the positive changes.

“She is delighted she can carry on blogging, but more so about the money being raised for the charity. People have been very, very generous. The way the world reacted to the ban is very revealing, it’s just fantastic that common sense has prevailed,” Dave Payne said, according to the Daily Mail.

A fundraising effort through her blog has raised more than £84,000 (a little over $131,000)  for charitable organization Mary’s Meals.  The charity plans to build a kitchen in Malawi with some of the funds providing food to hungry children there, the BBC reports. Martha Payne said she plans to name the kitchen “Friends of Never Seconds” for those whose donations made her work possible.

Whitney is the summer Pulliam/Killgore intern with SPJ. She recently graduated from Brigham Young University after studying journalism. Connect with her via email –  wevans@hq.spj.org –  or on twitter – @whitevs7

*Know something about Freedom of Information that you think we should cover in a blog post? We want to hear from you! Send information to wevans@HQ.SPJ.org. It may be featured in a future post.

Text Messages, Emails are Public Records in Illinois

A city council member in Champaign, Ill., tried to withhold text and email messages between council members in response to a records request by local media. The council member claimed messages were exempt since they were sent from personal devices.  However, Sangmon County circuit court Judge John Schmidt ordered text and other electronic messages sent by the council to be turned over.

Exemption Caught in the Nick of Time in Connecticut

An exemption was proposed during a special legislative session in Connecticut that would allow the state to withold dealings with companies seeking financial assistance from the  state.

The exemption would exclude records between the state and companies looking to grow or move into Connecticut that request financial help from the state “…provided the disclosure of such records could adversely affect the financial interest of the state, the business or organization.” Media outlets and FOI advocates took issue with the broadly stated exemption, originally slated to pass during the June 12 legislative session.

“This is as outrageous an assault on the public’s right to know as one could imagine,” said Matt DeRienzo, group editor of Group Register Company’s Connecticut publications on a Connecticut Newsroom blog post.

However, as media outlets reacted to the overly broad wording of the bill, the government responded: The amendment was stricken from Tuesday’s special legislative  session.

Special Police Unit in Uganda

Uganda has created a special police unit to respond to abuses against media and journalists. The Press Unit comes at a much needed time for the country where there were 100 recorded cases of journalists being attacked in 2011.

“This development comes at a critical time when journalists in Uganda are starting to lose hope of getting justice for the numerous abuses and violations meted against them by both state and non-state actors,”  said Henry O. Maina, Director, ARTICLE 19 Eastern Africa, ARTICLE 19 reported.

* The June 6 FOI FYI blog post mentioned various testimonies during the  House Committee on Government Oversight and Reform’s hearing on the lockout policies set forth by the Department of Labor. We failed to mention that Lucy Dalglish, while executive director of Reporter’s Committee for Freedom of the Press, was testifying on behalf of the Sunshine in Government Initiative. The Sunshine in Government Initiative is a conglomerate of media groups, including the Society of Professionals Journalists, aimed at promoting government transparency.

SGI members (according to the SGI website):

• American Society of News Editors
• Associated Press
• The Association of Alternative News Media
• National Newspaper Association
• Newspaper Association of America
• Online News Association
• Radio, TV, Digital News Association
• Reporter’s Committee for Freedom of the Press
• Society of Professional Journalists

Whitney is the summer Pulliam/Killgore intern with SPJ. She recently graduated from Brigham Young University after studying journalism. Connect with her via email –  wevans@hq.spj.org –  or on twitter – @whitevs7

*Know something about Freedom of Information that you think we should cover in a blog post? We want to hear from you! Send information to wevans@HQ.SPJ.org. It may be featured in a future post.

A vital aspect of success in freedom of information is the transition from the paper age to digital. While the United States was once a leader in freedom of information legislation and implementation, we still remain somewhat rooted in backlogs and delays, much of which could be solved.  The Office of Government Information Services is working to rectify this. OGIS is working with government agencies to move documents  online and make access to public documents consistent across agencies. The agency also has an online database where people can view cases that have been filed with OGIS, along with the case’s progress and results.

Two countries for OGIS to study in the move toward online transparency are Mexico and Norway. Both have already made significant progress with adapting their respective laws to the digital age.  In Mexico, where official freedom of information laws are only a decade old, there are INFO-DF and INFOMEX-DF. These websites allow interested parties in any country online access to public documents and search through previous FOI requests and the government’s response.

While it would be easy to point to Mexico’s relatively recent freedom of information laws, Norway’s public records law was implemented in 1970, with an update in 2003. Norway’s website is similar to Mexico’s, with information available for the public to access and share. They’ve also made public information available via Twitter. Additionally, the site boasts a Data hotel, where public bodies can more easily make information accessible online.

Whitney is the summer Pulliam/Killgore intern with SPJ. She recently graduated from Brigham Young University after studying journalism. Connect with her via email –  wevans@hq.spj.org –  or on twitter – @whitevs7

*Know something about Freedom of Information that you think we should cover in a blog post? We want to hear from you! Send information to wevans@HQ.SPJ.org. It may be featured in a future post.

In an article on changing corporate culture, strategic adviser Peter Bregman suggests the power of peer pressure to affect far-reaching change within the culture of a business .  Bregman cites a study by Leann Lipps Birch that showed children’s preferences for foods they disliked increased when they saw their peers eating the same foods.  Using this as a launching pad, he suggests the best way to change the culture of a company is to do positive, story-worthy things, or showcase those who are making positive efforts, and change the stories being told. Once people hear positive stories about their agency, they are more likely to follow suit.

What does this have to do with freedom of information? A look through stories in recent media shows that some public bodies and government officials are still less than excited to cooperate with the public’s demand for greater transparency and access to information. For example,  the House Committee for Government Oversight and Reform recently to investigated questionable Department of Labor policies that would affect media outlets. Additionally, committee chairman Darrell Issa (R-CA) questioned Attorney General Eric Holder regarding the  ‘Fast and Furious’ operation.  These show public bodies need to shift from secrecy to transparency, ideally sparking a change among requesters — from suspicion to cautious trust.

However, there are still those who work to further government transparency, effectively changing the nature of the stories being told. For instance:

• Maurice Frankel, a freedom of information expert in the United Kingdom, is using the power of peer pressure to force change in his corner of the world. In a recent article, he offered The Netherlands’ punitive measures as an example of what can be done in instances of  freedom of information violations. Adding insult to injury, FOI violators may be subject to fines of 30 euros daily for late responses to FOI requests, to be paid directly to the requester. Fines can reach a maximum of 1260 euros. Frankel adds that The Netherlands FOI laws are currently under review, so the efficacy of these punitive measures may soon be known.
• Rosemary Agnew, Scotland’s  Information Commissioner,  is looking for ways to inexpensively train public bodies. Agnew is trying to help public bodies  respond correctly to requests when they’re first made, effectively freeing up resources in the process.  Agnew has experience with responding to freedom of information requests. She found training to be expensive, and is working to find ways to make training more affordable and accessible to all employees in the public sector.

Whitney is the summer Pulliam/Killgore intern with SPJ. She recently graduated from Brigham Young University after studying journalism. Connect with her via email –  wevans@hq.spj.org –  or on twitter – @whitevs7

*Know something about Freedom of Information that you think we should cover in a blog post? We want to hear from you! Send information to wevans@HQ.SPJ.org. It may be featured in a future post.

Arkansas  is showing it takes Freedom of Information seriously.

Recently, Craighead County Special Judge Orville Clift fined officials from Bono for an FOI violation, The Associated Press reports.  Mayor Billy Stephens was fined $200, and Aldermen John Dodd, Leon Hamilton and Jerry Sullins $250 each for failing to publicly announce a meeting they held regarding a new police chief. Additionally, each received 30 days suspended  jail time and were ordered to attend an educational FOIA class, held by the Arkansas Press Association, in hopes the education will help them avoid future infractions.

Perhaps the Bono officials would have benefited by attending one of Arkansas’ ongoing FOIA education initiatives.

Dubbed the FOI ” Road Show,” this workshop has hit the road in Arkansas with the aim to educate officials and the public on freedom of information laws.  In this proactive move, Arkansas Attorney General Dustin McDaniel has joined with the Arkansas Press Association. Although targeted to public bodies that handle FOI requests, interested members of the public are also invited to attend. The road show will stop in Little Rock on June 12 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the Bowen School of Law.  This is the second installment of this year’s roadshow, with fall workshops planned in Fayetteville and Magnolia.

The event is free and includes lunch, but participants will need to register before the event.  Visit the Arkansas Attorney General’s website or arkansaspress.org for more information.

Other helpful resources:

• Check out Sunshine Review for information on transparency, FOI and government in your state.
• Click here to find out more about freedom of information laws and contact people in your state.
• Arkansans: Get your free copy of the Arkansas Freedom of Information Handbook here.

Whitney is the summer Pulliam/Killgore intern with SPJ. She recently graduated from Brigham Young University after studying journalism. Connect with her via email –  wevans@hq.spj.org –  or on twitter – @whitevs7

*Know something about Freedom of Information that you think we should cover in a blog post? We want to hear from you! Send information to wevans@HQ.SPJ.org. It may be featured in a future post.

“OG Pod,” a new open-government podcast focused on transparency issues in Washington, is available for listeners to access online.

The program provides advice for people searching for certain public records or planning to attend various government meetings. It will include rundowns on developments in the courts, legislature and media regarding transparency issues.

For those who need advice on the nitty gritty details of the Open Public Meetings Act or Public Records Act, this podcast will dish out plenty of helpful tips.

The Freedom Foundation and Greg Overstreet of Allied Law Group, which specializes in open government legal matters, host OG Pod. Its author is Michael Reitz, who serves as General Counsel of the Freedom Foundation and is the director of its Constitutional Law Center.

Listeners can access the podcasts from iTunes and Facebook as well.

– Morgan Watkins

Morgan Watkins is SPJ’s summer Pulliam/Kilgore Freedom of Information intern and a University of Florida student. Reach her by email (mwatkins@spj.org) or connect with her on Twitter (@morganwatkins26).

Between global warming debates and data, oil spills, and forest fire disasters, environmental journalists have a ton of ground to cover.

The Society of Environmental Journalists’ biweekly WatchDog TipSheet can help reporters covering environmental topics stay abreast of the latest developments in FOI.

The publication focuses on FOI issues in the U.S. and Canada.

In addition to stories on major developments in the environmental field, it also has plenty of story ideas for those looking for a new topic or angle to cover.

There’s also an archive of past issues dating from before May 2009.

It’s easy to keep up with the latest WatchDog TipSheet updates through RSS feeds and free email subscription.

– Morgan Watkins

Morgan Watkins is SPJ’s summer Pulliam/Kilgore Freedom of Information intern and a University of Florida student. Reach her by email (mwatkins@spj.org) or connect with her on Twitter (@morganwatkins26).

FOIA requests are the bread and butter of quality reporting, but sometimes they can be incredibly annoying. Filling out the forms, hassling agencies to respond to your requests, bugging them again when they ignore your initial hassling – it can get tiring for a reporter who has three other stories to write by 5 p.m.

MuckRock, an open government tool, takes some of the pressure off of reporters by handling the FOIA requests for them.

To get your FOIA request taken care of, go the MuckRock website and type in what information you need. MuckRock staff helps with the rest, getting your request completed and providing the documents in a scanned and searchable format.

The website also provides regular updates on FOI issues on its blog.

You can also browse through the database of other FOIA requests that MuckRock is handling. It includes information on the statuses of various requests.

If a request has been completed that matches the information you’re looking for, you can check out the documents at MuckRock rather than having to file another FOIA request for the same information.

You can also see if someone else has submitted a FOIA request for the same data that’s been denied.

MuckRock was founded by journalist Michael Morisy and Mitchell Kotler, who has worked at various high-tech startup companies.

The Sunlight Foundation, which has provided grant money for the program, is among MuckRock’s supporters.

The next time you need to make a records request for a story, take a few minutes to check out MuckRock’s services first. The site could be a huge help.

– Morgan Watkins

Morgan Watkins is SPJ’s summer Pulliam/Kilgore Freedom of Information intern and a University of Florida student. Reach her by email (mwatkins@spj.org) or connect with her on Twitter (@morganwatkins26).

Any reporters looking for an education story should check out the Department of Education’s newest website, which was made public Thursday and provides pricing information for the country’s colleges.

The lists included on the website were required by the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008.

Information on the site includes the tuition rates, recent tuition hikes and net prices of many post-secondary institutions. A college’s net price is the actual price paid by full-time students after financial aid is considered, according to The New York Times.

The website includes data on public and private schools, four-year and two-year schools and non-profit and for-profit schools.

Check out where schools in your area rank, and start brainstorming some great new story ideas.

– Morgan Watkins

Morgan Watkins is SPJ’s summer Pulliam/Kilgore Freedom of Information intern and a University of Florida student. Reach her by email (mwatkins@spj.org) or connect with her on Twitter (@morganwatkins26).