Freedom of Information and Open Government - video now available
Two hundred years ago Thomas Jefferson observed that access to information is one of the foundations of democracy.
Today we have Freedom of Information laws and Open Government initiatives, all designed to give citizens access to government information about issues that matter to both individuals and broader society.
Are these mechanisms working? How can we tell whether progress is being made?
These and related topics were the subject of an Information Futures Forum hosted in August by the University Library.
Guest speaker Miriam Nisbet, director of the US Office of Government Information Services (OGIS), tackled the topic from the perspective of a senior public administrator and advocate of FOI.
Dr Denis Muller, Fellow at the Centre for Advanced Journalism at the University of Melbourne, offered some 'war stories' from his own prior experiences as Associate Editor at The Age and latterly as a researcher into media ethics and public policy.
It was, said one audience member, an entertaining and enlightening conversation.
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Contact: Margaret L Ruwoldt
Phone: 8344 0478