March 16-22 is Sunshine Week, celebrating citizen access to government information. The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is an essential tool for both journalists and all Americans. Students at USC should understand what FOIA is and the benefits that come along with it.
Sunshine Week is put on by the Joseph L. Brechner Freedom of Information Project at the University of Florida. It offers activities and resources focused on the freedom of information and citizens' right to know through their organization. The week was started post-9/11 as state and federal governments tightened information laws due to national security concerns. The week occurs every March in conjunction with James Madison's birthday, a staunch defender of freedom of information who said a government without it is "but a prologue to a farce and a tragedy."
Holding government accountable is a civic duty and the FOIA helps make that possible. It can be used to obtain government documents – reports, meeting minutes, financial expenditures etc. – on local, state and federal levels.
For students and student journalists, submitting a FOIA request is the first step to exposing government overreach, corruption and waste. It can give a window into decisions made behind closed doors and how tax dollars are being used. Gaining access to these documents may relay vital information.
This also gives students and citizens an opportunity to use amateur legal skills. Law firms use FOIA to obtain government documents every day, and students can learn about the law and legal side of government. This is done through both the experience of submitting a request and analyzing often complex government documents
FOIA is also important for accountability and transparency. Knowing the truth about what the government is doing is crucial for civic engagement. How can one successfully speak out on an issue without knowing the facts? Political advocacy must be grounded in reality, and FOIA can help students obtain facts necessary for understanding and supporting an argument.
Widespread effective democratic participation is impossible without public knowledge of government workings. It is our job to understand how the government works, what they are doing and even hold them accountable when an injustice occurs.
Journalists have an elevated responsibility to use FOIA. Once obtained, these documents can become a tool for spreading key information to the general public. It elevates a journalist's reporting as it gives physical evidence to something occurring on at an institutional level, making their reporting more trustworthy through the process of using factual sources such as government documents. Credibility is extremely important and FOIA aids journalists in their ability to do so.
FOIA can even be used for obtaining records from the university. For example, students have the right to be able to request any sealed document. Students should understand the importance of this transparency and this makes public records easily available upon request. If a student might need a document, they are able to submit a request through the university's FOIA portal.
Information on filing FOIA requests for city, county, state and federal governments can be found online. It is important for students to understand what FOIA is and even how to use it in the event they need it. Even though it might be easy to request these documents, it certainly isn't cheap. Accessing these records comes a long with a price tag determined by page number and even time for the employee finding and redacting the documents.
The United States FOIA page describes ensuring informed citizens through the act as “vital to the functioning of a democratic society.” As citizens of the United States we are called to hold the government accountable. By understanding what FOIA is and how to use it through organizations such as Sunshine Week, students are able to become more civically engaged and are able to have transparency with institutions on every level.