PRNewswire-USNewswire, Feb. 23, 2016
The National Press Club Journalism Institute will host a panel of experts March 16 for a discussion on how the U.S. Freedom of Information Act is being applied and how it can be improved.
FOIA is one of the most important tools at journalists' disposal for uncovering government information. However, nearly a half-century since its inception, many observers say the FOIA process is hamstrung by delays and overly broad redactions.
The March 16 panel, which will run from 6:30pm until 8pm, will be comprised of four experts who are intimately familiar with the FOIA process, and each of them has a singular perspective on the subject:
- Jason Leopold, senior investigative reporter at Vice News;
- David Sobel, counsel at Electronic Frontier Foundation and head of its FOIA litigation project;
- Michael Doyle, legal affairs correspondent, McClatchy Newspapers' Washington Bureau;
- James Holzer, director of the Office of Government Information Services (Federal FOIA Ombudsman).
Christine Walz, an associate at Holland & Knight law firm, and an expert on FOIA, will moderate the panel.
The U.S. FOIA panel will be complemented by a separate panel discussion focusing on government records access in other countries. Both are part of a series of events on government transparency at the National Press Club during Sunshine Week, March 14 through March 18.
Tickets for the event will be $5 for Press Club members and $10 for non-members. Register here.
The National Press Club Journalist Institute is the non-profit affiliate of the National Press Club, the world's leading professional organization for journalists. Through its Press Freedom Committee, the Institute promotes a transparent global society through an independent press.
Contact:
Rachel Oswald – vice chair, NPC Press Freedom Committee: rachelm.oswald@gmail.com, 202 486-9173
National Press Club
529 14th Street NW
13th Floor - Zenger Room
Washington, DC 20045