Albuquerque, N.M. — The Board of Directors of the New Mexico Foundation for Open Government on Oct. 28, 2021, announced the retirement of Executive Director Melanie Majors effective Dec. 31, 2021. Majors took the role of director in 2018, after serving as a member of NMFOG’s Board of Directors. She has more than 35 years […]
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‘Create a culture that says public access is good, and we don’t want exceptions,’ retiring leader says
By Todd FettigNFOIC executive director Be proactive. Think in terms of principles. Think long-term. Build a culture of transparency. And remind lawmakers of their commitments to open government. Those are the tenets of Robert Travis Scott, who in November 2021 retires as president of the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana (PAR), a member of […]
Journalists of Color, state coalitions benefit from NFOIC program funded by SPJ Foundation grant
The National Freedom of Information Coalition’s $5,000 grant from the SPJ Foundation helped 24 journalists of color sharpen their skills in acquiring public records and connected them to experts in more than 12 states. The FOI Bootcamp for Journalists of Color provided a two-hour virtual training on records access, analyzing data, and serving disadvantaged communities. […]
NFOIC seeks administrative support, invites applications from member coalitions
The National Freedom of Information Coalition Board of Directors voted Sept. 28, 2021, to invite applications from member coalitions interested in entering a contract to provide NFOIC administrative support services. Under a three-year contract, the NFOIC would provide $10,000 annually to the supporting coalition, starting July 1, 2022, in exchange for administrative duties that would […]
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Government secrecy should not be legacy of mass shooting, California coalition argues
California’s First Amendment Coalition, joined by the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and the California News Publishers Association, filed an amicus brief urging an appeals court to overturn a lower court’s ruling that kept death records secret after a 2018 mass shooting. Journalists covering the Borderline Bar & Grill massacre have been denied […]
What’s required to unlock records? Often it’s opening a checkbook and hitting the open road
While much of the world runs on digital transactions, it takes an actual paper checkbook and a lot of travel to unlock open records in many small agencies and police departments. A Michigan editor, who is leading a reporting project into police responses at a music festival at which four people died, found herself driving […]
2021 Summit Agenda
Tuesday, September 28, 2021 12:00 PM-9:00 PM Welcome Video: FOI Summit 2021 Speakers: Todd Fettig (he/him), Erika Benton 1:00 PM-2:00 PM Government transparency: Lessons from the pandemic Speakers: Tom Verdin, Gunita Singh, David Snyder, Tonu Basu Join experts in public records, open meetings and press access to discuss how the pandemic changed the way governments respond to […]
Four state heroes to be inducted into NFOIC’s Open Government Hall of Fame
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA, Sept. 16, 2021 — Four “Heroes of the 50 States,” representing Florida, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, will be inducted Sept. 30 into the National Freedom of Information Coalition’s State Open Government Hall of Fame, as the Class of 2021. The inductees have backgrounds in law, journalism, and academia. The 2021 inductees are: Barbara […]
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Founder of Wisconsin group saw FOI as ‘a guarantee for the rights of people’
Robert H. (Bob) Wills, longtime editor of the Milwaukee Sentinel and founder of the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council, died July 22, 2021, in Madison, Wisconsin, at age 95, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “The role of the media is that of watchdog of government for the public. It follows that the guarantee of […]
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New York coalition insists on more transparency regarding Buffalo Bills football stadium plans
The New York Coalition For Open Government is demanding more transparency about negotiations to build a new stadium for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. The New York coalition is urging Gov. Kathy Hochul to release a study regarding the need and cost of a new stadium, and to provide opportunities for public […]