State and local governments increasingly claim copyright protections to deny public access to records and data, and the tension between intellectual property laws and freedom of information laws raises difficult issues, according to an article by Frank LoMonte, director of the Brechner Center for Freedom of Information, which is a partner of the National Freedom…
Tag: University of Florida
Winners of research competition to present findings at 2021 FOI Summit
Five research papers have been accepted to the third annual National Freedom of Information Coalition FOI research competition, to be presented online Sept. 28, 2021, at the FOI Summit. In all, seven one-page proposals were entered and five selected through double-blind peer review for final consideration. Then, a team of eight expert judges rated the…
Study examines: Does a state constitutional right to know make a difference?
State constitutional rights guaranteeing access to information can’t hurt, and may help, when judges balance the interests of disclosure and privacy. But there’s little evidence that a constitutional right to access produces better results directly for requesters. That’s, in part, because many variables influence the outcome of a request, particularly the state’s political culture. Those…
NFOIC to Expand Collaboration with the Brechner Center for Freedom of Information in Restructuring
October 26, 2020 The National Freedom of Information Coalition will combine forces with the University of Florida’s Brechner Center for Freedom of Information in developing new programs that foster government transparency and serve state coalitions for open government. For the next year, the two organizations will bolster a relationship that has been in place since…
Report Documents Florida’s Lack of Accountability for Public Records Requests
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Report Documents Florida’s Lack of Accountability for Public Records Requests Percent of Requests with Fees and Amount Collected Varies Widely from County to County Gainesville, Fla., April 16, 2018 Despite having some of the most open public records laws in the country, Florida’s lack of accountability…
National Freedom of Information Coalition to Relocate to the University of Florida
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE National Freedom of Information Coalition to Relocate to the University of Florida NFOIC joins a renowned FOI Center and First Amendment Project at the College of Journalism…