Comments on: When Public Records Become Really Public http://faneuilmedia.com/blog/2006/12/19/when-public-records-become-really-public/ Thu, 11 Mar 2010 01:13:30 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.2 by: Derek Willis http://faneuilmedia.com/blog/2006/12/19/when-public-records-become-really-public/#comment-117 Wed, 20 Dec 2006 15:25:01 +0000 http://faneuilmedia.com/blog/2006/12/19/when-public-records-become-really-public/#comment-117 Someone may have, yes, but no one had up until this point. And the federal and state/local differences are tremendous - weakening federal FOIA laws requires convincing a couple of hundred congressmen or senators that it's the right thing to do, and there are active lobbies that watch these activities closely in Congress. Many states, to say nothing of localities, have real defenders of public records that can combat a stealthy drive by a small group of powerful people or to counter a campaign based on an emotional appeal, as in the Earnhardt case. In a best-case scenario, I totally agree with you. But the reality is that once records are sealed it can be extremely difficult to get them reopened, and while news organizations should make the case of openness whenever they can, they should also be mindful of doing things that have little impact except to stir up opposition. Someone may have, yes, but no one had up until this point. And the federal and state/local differences are tremendous - weakening federal FOIA laws requires convincing a couple of hundred congressmen or senators that it’s the right thing to do, and there are active lobbies that watch these activities closely in Congress.

Many states, to say nothing of localities, have real defenders of public records that can combat a stealthy drive by a small group of powerful people or to counter a campaign based on an emotional appeal, as in the Earnhardt case.

In a best-case scenario, I totally agree with you. But the reality is that once records are sealed it can be extremely difficult to get them reopened, and while news organizations should make the case of openness whenever they can, they should also be mindful of doing things that have little impact except to stir up opposition.

]]> by: Rick http://faneuilmedia.com/blog/2006/12/19/when-public-records-become-really-public/#comment-115 Wed, 20 Dec 2006 02:56:58 +0000 http://faneuilmedia.com/blog/2006/12/19/when-public-records-become-really-public/#comment-115 Derek, What you're saying makes sense, but I think that if the News-Journal hadn't published the lists, somebody else would have, eventually. To me, the backlash was inevitable. I think the trick is to turn the backlash into a conversation about openness and convince people of its value. The Sunlight Foundation is doing an admirable job of this on the national level. Derek, What you’re saying makes sense, but I think that if the News-Journal hadn’t published the lists, somebody else would have, eventually. To me, the backlash was inevitable.

I think the trick is to turn the backlash into a conversation about openness and convince people of its value. The Sunlight Foundation is doing an admirable job of this on the national level.

]]> by: Derek Willis http://faneuilmedia.com/blog/2006/12/19/when-public-records-become-really-public/#comment-114 Wed, 20 Dec 2006 02:28:09 +0000 http://faneuilmedia.com/blog/2006/12/19/when-public-records-become-really-public/#comment-114 Uh, that's *should be careful*, not shouldn't. Uh, that’s *should be careful*, not shouldn’t.

]]> by: Derek Willis http://faneuilmedia.com/blog/2006/12/19/when-public-records-become-really-public/#comment-113 Wed, 20 Dec 2006 02:27:06 +0000 http://faneuilmedia.com/blog/2006/12/19/when-public-records-become-really-public/#comment-113 I should add that I don't mean that public records shouldn't be public, but that a newspaper has to be smart about what it chooses to disseminate, and have good reasons for doing so. In this instance, I don't think the publishing of the lists added much to the reporting, and pretty much only served to anger gun owners. Public records exemptions are often added for the worst reasons - witness the exemption for autopsy photos in Florida after Dale Earnhardt's death, simply because the family didn't want them to be available - and the news media shouldn't be careful about creating enemies of openness when it doesn't serve a compelling news interest. I should add that I don’t mean that public records shouldn’t be public, but that a newspaper has to be smart about what it chooses to disseminate, and have good reasons for doing so. In this instance, I don’t think the publishing of the lists added much to the reporting, and pretty much only served to anger gun owners.

Public records exemptions are often added for the worst reasons - witness the exemption for autopsy photos in Florida after Dale Earnhardt’s death, simply because the family didn’t want them to be available - and the news media shouldn’t be careful about creating enemies of openness when it doesn’t serve a compelling news interest.

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