OSCE media freedom representative launches guide on access to information on World Press Freedom Day
The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Dunja Mijatovic, launched a guide for journalists on how to access government information today, marking World Press Freedom Day. “The Legal Leaks Toolkit” was prepared by the non-governmental organizations Access Info Europe and Network for Reporting on Eastern Europe n-ost with financial support from the OSCE Representative’s office.
This toolkit is designed for journalists working in any media – newspapers, radio, and television – as well as bloggers and other information professionals who need to get access to information held by public bodies for their stories.
The toolkit is for journalists making requests in their own country or considering filing a request in another country. It is based on a comparative analysis of the access to information of the 40 countries of the Council of Europe region which have such laws. In many places in the text we have put references where national law or practice deviates from the normal access to information standards. For more detailed information on national law, links are given in Annex B to each of the national access to information laws and in Annex C to the relevant oversight body (Information Commission or Ombudsman) , where they exist, who should be able to provide more information about the national access to information framework.
Isn’t this only for investigative journalists? No, all journalists can make use of the tool of access to information. Investigative journalists often make particularly heavy use of access to information laws and this toolkit will undoubtedly be of help to anyone working on in-depth stories. At the same time, an everyday story about modernization of a local hospital or plans for the village school written following use of your right to public information might be as interesting to your readers as a story about high level political intrigue or the fight against transnational organised crime.
Is this relevant to regional or local government? All government bodies hold information which is of some relevance to the public and – as we will show in the case studies in this toolkit – sometimes the most important stories for members of the public come from what seem at first to be quite simple and obvious questions posed to a local or regional authority.
Access the full toolkit at legalleaks website. Be aware that most of the interesting content is a little bit hidden in the nice red logo of the toolkit.
- Journalistic Research
- 1. When is the right time to file a request?
- 2. The newsroom culture for access to information
- 3. Information Requests and Spokespersons
- 4. Where should I file my request?
- 5. Shall I let them know that I am a journalist?
- 6. What should I say in my request?
- 7. Hiding the “real request” in a more general one
- 8. Anticipate possible exceptions
- 9. What information about myself do I have to give?
- 10. How do I make my request?
- 11. Do I have to pay a fee to ask for information?
- 12. Fees for receipt of information
- 13. How will I receive the information?
- 14. When will I receive the information?
- 15. What happens if I don’t get the information I asked for?
- Right to Information
- 1. What is access to information?
- 2. What is transparency? Is it the same as access to information?
- 3. I’ve been thinking: is access to information really a human right?
- 4. Who has the right to file information requests?
- 5. Which information or documents does the right apply to?
- 6. What about access to an entire database?
- 7. Does the right apply to all public bodies?
- 8. What about inter-governmental organizations?
- 9. But can I get access to all information held by public bodies?
- 10. Appeals against silence and refusals
- Country Information
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