Unlocking Laws to Set Information Free: GIJN’s Global Guide to FOI and RTI
Unlocking laws to set information free
More than 115 countries worldwide have laws that require officials to turn over public records. Of course, even in the countries that have no laws it never hurts to ask. But there’s an advantage to using an access law — variously called freedom of information laws, access to information laws, right to information and right to know laws.
There are many resources for journalists seeking to file records requests in countries with laws governing access to information. To help exploit these legal tools, we’ve lined up GIJN’s Complete Global Guide to Freedom of Information, a resource with three sections:
- Tips and Tricks: A collection of the best advice on how to use access laws.
- Inspirational FOI: Ideas of what to ask for and stories about journalists active in using FOI.
- Global Resources: Country-by-country guidance and links to national resources.
This guide was put together by Toby McIntosh, the director of GIJN’s resource center and the former editor of FreedomInfo.org, a nonprofit website based in Washington, DC that covers international transparency laws. He was with Bloomberg BNA for 39 years and has filed numerous US FOI requests and has written about FOI policies worldwide. He is also a steering committee member of FOIANet, an international network of FOI advocates.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License
Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.
Republish this article
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License
Read Next
Data Journalism News & Analysis
Lessons Learned: 10 Common Mistakes in Data Journalism
GIJN asked speakers and attendees in the NICAR conference hallways for the data journalism gaps they see, and for under-covered topic areas and under-used skills that newsrooms can address.
Reporting Tools & Tips Teaching & Training
Best Practices for Election Coverage Using YouTube
At the recent International Symposium on Online Journalism (ISOJ), one workshop offered suggestions on how journalists and media outlets can better use YouTube in their election coverage.
Getting the Story Out Press Freedom
How Alexey Navalny Was Inspired by — and Inspired — Investigative Journalism in Russia
Anti-corruption campaigner Alexey Navalny proved that anyone, after investigative training and practice, can expose rights abuse at the highest levels of government.
Data Journalism News & Analysis
From Space to Story in Data Journalism
Over the past 10 years satellite imagery has become an important component of data journalism. In the next 10, it will likely evolve further, from a tool used primarily for illustrating stories to an integral part of research and investigative reporting.