What a bright Day One for open government!

"In the face of doubt, openness prevails," Obama wrote in a memo to the heads of executive departments and agencies concerning the FOIA. His bold Day One move to reinforce his promise to replace the atmosphere of secrecy with one of transparency made headlines across the country.

To download the memo, click here.

Read more on the Collaboration of Government Secrecy Web site here.

The Associated Press story is below:

In an attempt to deliver on pledges of a transparent government, Obama said he would change the way the federal government interprets the Freedom of Information Act. He said he was directing agencies that vet requests for information to err on the side of making information public — not to look for reasons to legally withhold it — an alteration to the traditional standard of evaluation.

Just because a government agency has the legal power to keep information private does not mean that it should, Obama said. Reporters and public-interest groups often make use of the law to explore how and why government decisions were made; they are often stymied as agencies claim legal exemptions to the law.

"For a long time now, there's been too much secrecy in this city," Obama said.

He said the orders he was issuing Wednesday will not "make government as honest and transparent as it needs to be" nor go as far as he would like.

"But these historic measures do mark the beginning of a new era of openness in our country," Obama said. "And I will, I hope, do something to make government trustworthy in the eyes of the American people, in the days and weeks, months and years to come."

More here.