Editor's Note

The FOI Advocate is a compendium of ideas, edited story excerpts and other materials from a variety of Web sites, as well as original concepts and analysis. When the information comes directly from another source, it will be attributed and a link will be provided whenever possible. The blog relies on the accuracy and integrity of the original sources cited. We will correct errors and inaccuracies when we become aware of them.

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Americans 'optimistic,' 'still guarded' about Obama's FOI promises

More coverage of the Sunshine poll:

Americans overwhelmingly support President Obama's order that federal agencies must show a "presumption in favor of disclosure" when asked to open government records to the public, an order issued during his first full day in office.

But a survey of 946 adult residents of the United States also found that 61 percent believe the federal government "only sometimes, rarely or never" obeys the Freedom of Information Act that requires such disclosure.

Yet the survey, commissioned by the American Society of Newspaper Editors and conducted by Scripps Howard News Service and Ohio University, also found that the erosion of the public's confidence in the openness of the national government has slowed or even reversed slightly after three years of dramatic declines.

More here.

No comments: