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MAY 2008
Tour de FOI makes third stop in Tempe
Latino journalist honored with stamp STAMP, PAGE 5
HAPPY BIRTHDAY ED A tribute to the legendary Edward R. Murrow, on what would have been his 100th birthday, and a call to action for all journalists. MASTER, PAGE 8
SENATE SLAPS FCC OVER MEDIA OWNERSHIP Bush threatens veto if House also votes to continue media cross-ownership ban. SENATE PANEL, PAGE 10
PBS ANCHORS TO RECEIVE PRESTIGIOUS AWARD FOR WORK Jim Lehrer, Robert MacNeil are this year’s recipients of the Cronkite Award. CRONKITE, PAGE 3
AWARD-WINNING CARTOONIST HIJACKS AWARDS LUNCHEON
Artist and comedian Dave Fitzsimmons emcees SPJ Region 11 awards. SPJ, PAGE 7
Arizona Rep. David Lujan (D-Phoenix) speaks about the importance of open government to journalists, attorneys and citizens at the Tour de FOI stop at the Tempe Public Library.
By Perri colliNs “We cannot afford to sit back on autopilot and let someone else craft democracy for us,” said Arizona First Amendment attorney David Bodney. Bodney was a guest speaker at the third stop of the Arizona First Amendment Coalition’s “Tour de FOI,” in which discussions are being held in several Arizona cities to give the public, journalists and government officials and employees facts and opinions on the right to access to government information. OMB Watch, a non-profit government watchdog organization, also sponsored the event. Their 21st Century Right-to-know Project addresses problems and makes recommendations for future politicians to implement. “As an elected official, we get skittish about what we can and cannot do,” said Rep. David Lujan (D-Phoenix). He emphasized that most legislative officials depend on legal counsel to inform them of First Amendment rights and responsibilities. However, he also talked about legislators taking these laws as a joke. “I would be fascinated to see how the legislature would operate if they took open meeting laws seriously,” he said. Sean Molton, OMB Watch Federal Information Policy director, hopes his group will influence the
future administrations. He emphasized the need for FOIA laws to apply to all three branches of government, not just the executive branch. “With enough pressure over a long period of time, maybe we can get something done,” he said. While some participants at the event were calling for major government transformation, others insisted that the U.S. is already in the midst of change. “We’re seeing an expansion of openness laws lately,” said University of Arizona journalism professor David Cuillier, who also chairs the national Freedom of Information committee for the Society of Professional Journalists. In the past few years, Arizona has seen a number of public records access and open meetings laws passed and amended. Even with these new laws, it is still often difficult to gain access to certain documents. Problems and barriers to public information include ANAgrams Arizona Newspapers Association 1001 N. Central Avenue, Suite 670 Phoenix, AZ 85004 - 1947
the formats that records are kept in (disc, tape, paper), people taking their time instead of delivering the information “promptly” and uncertainty about who to ask to get the correct information. “Know the law. Don’t let them bluff you,” said Cuillier. “I tell my students: Every document is a public document unless there’s a specific law stating that it’s secret,” he said. At the current juncture in time, there is no real penalty for breaking the public records law. It is considered a civil misdemeanor in Arizona. “The law needs to be changed to reflect real risks and rewards,” David Bodney Possible solutions include a “Miranda rights” of public access, fixed deadlines for responding to requests, and rewarding those who do promote openness and comply with requests in a timely fashion. [ Continued on Page 7 ] “PRSRT STD” U.S. POSTAGE PAID PHOENIX ARIZONA PERMIT NO. 3429
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