What really goes on behind the closed doors of politicians’ offices or in the locked filing cabinets of government departments? Many spectacular and impactful works of journalism have been built around these gleaming pearls of information, and Freedom of Information (FOI) laws are the oyster knife that journalists can use to prise them out.
The Australian Freedom of Information Act gives citizens the right to access documents from Australian government ministers and most Australian government agencies. It’s also an essential tool for journalists to winkle out important information that might otherwise not see the light of day; information on government policies, programs, data, and decision-making processes.
Join Michael Slezak, ABC national science, technology and environment reporter, and Lyn Kemmis, senior lawyer at SBS, as they talk about their considerable experience with FOI, how FOI requests can be made, what they can uncover, what are the challenges and limitations, and how FOI laws and regulations work.
The one-hour webinar will be held on Wednesday 26 February at 7pm, moderated by SJAA president Bianca Nogrady, and there will be up to half an hour for questions at the end. This free event is for SJAA members only. If you’re a member, look for the link in the SJAA newsletter, Slack or Facebook group . If you’re not a member yet and you’re interested in attending, join us!