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A citizens' guide to fighting secret government By Erica Holt, Erin Podlipnik, and Amanda Witherell› news@sfbg.com It's tough to fight City Hall — and a lot tougher to fight the White House. As we report in this issue, there's a concerted national effort to clamp down on public information, starting with the Bush administration, and that attitude trickles down to every level of government. Fortunately for journalists, civic activists, community watchdogs, and general hell-raisers, there's hope: A long list of organizations provide help and support on the FOI front. A selective list is published below; a much longer version is on the Web at www.sfbg.com. The California First Amendment Coalition (415-460-5060, www.cfac.org) is an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization whose mission is to "promote and defend the people's right to know" by improving compliance with state and federal access laws. CFAC's Web site contains an archive of articles dealing with freedom of information issues, the texts of state FOI laws, and other useful resources. They provide a free, legal hotline for guidance and questions concerning government access. A form is posted on the Web site (www.cfac.org/Lawyers/lawyers_network.html), and once submitted, a lawyer from the national law firm Piper Rudnick will be in contact within 48 hours. The California Newspaper Publishers Association (916-288-6015, www.cnpa.com) is the umbrella organization to which most newspapers in the state belong, so it has an acute interest in open government. Its FOI Watch newsletter (also available online) includes a clearinghouse of sunshine news from around the state. Californians Aware (916-487-7000, www.calaware.org), run by former CFAC general counsel Terry Francke, helps activists and organizations access public meetings and records and offers resources on the Web for citizens, public officials, journalists, and attorneys. Free legal advice is available upon request, and forms are provided on the Web site. The Center for Investigative Reporting (415-543-1200, www.muckraker.org) Web site provides FOI information, tips for journalists, and updates on past CIR investigations. The DataCenter (800-735-3741, www.datacenter.org) provides on-call research, consultation, and referrals to justice organizations regarding FOI issues. It also offers research and action training. Services are free or sliding scale, depending on one's ability to pay. The Electronic Frontier Foundation (415-436-9333, www.eff.org), a digital civil liberties organization, works to protect digital free speech, privacy, innovation, and consumer rights on the Internet. EFF provides stories and alerts on its Web site, with daily updates. EFFector, an e-mail newsletter, is available through the site. The First Amendment Project (510-208-7744, www.thefirstamendment.org) is a nonprofit public interest organization that provides free and low-cost legal representation, and educational resources for journalists, public interest organizations, and individual citizens with public records and FOI-related issues. In a joint publication effort with the Society of Professional Journalists, the project offers four free pocket guides: on the Brown Act, California's Open Meeting Law, accessing court records, and protecting confidential sources. The Web page has information on using the California Public Records Act as well as on getting court records. Media Alliance (510-832-9000, www.media-alliance.org) is a nonprofit media center that offers classes on journalism skills and coordinates media activism campaigns, including those defending press freedom. The Northern California Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists (415-749-5451, www.sbj.org/norcal) has a FOI committee that fights for open access to information and educates members of the public on FOI issues. The group acts as a resource and advocate for citizens on FOI issues and provides an e-mail list for journalists and others involved in FOI and First Amendment issues in California. It also hosts the James Madison FOI Awards. For information about the FOI committee, e-mail chairman Matthew Hirsch at mhirsch@alm.com. *
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