Getting to Know the FOIA Advisory Committee: Michael Morisy

Today we present an interview with Michael Morisy, founder and chief executive of the non-profit Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) tool and news site MuckRock and a member of the FOIA Advisory Committee. MuckRock has worked with more than 10,000 requesters to file, track and share their Federal FOIA and other public records requests. Over … Continue reading Getting to Know the FOIA Advisory Committee: Michael Morisy

Epidemic of FOIA Excitement at CDC-Atlanta

  OGIS Deputy Director Martha Murphy and Mediation Team Lead Carrie McGuire visited the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia this week to participate in the Center’s third annual FOIA training summit. This special event brought together FOIA processors, FOIA coordinators, appeals staff and others to discuss FOIA issues of special … Continue reading Epidemic of FOIA Excitement at CDC-Atlanta

Getting to Know the FOIA Advisory Committee: Patricia Weth

Today we present an interview with Patricia Weth, Deputy Assistant General Counsel in the FOIA Branch of the National Labor Relations Board and a member of the FOIA Advisory Committee. This is part of a series of posts on the Committee, whose members are FOIA experts from inside and outside of government who are appointed … Continue reading Getting to Know the FOIA Advisory Committee: Patricia Weth

Upcoming FOIA Advisory Committee Meeting–Join Us!

Want to join us in person for the Wednesday March 20, 2019, meeting of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Advisory Committee? Midnight Sunday March 17, 2019—St. Patrick’s Day—is the deadline for registering to attend the meeting, to be held from 10 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. EDT in the William G. McGowan Theater at the … Continue reading Upcoming FOIA Advisory Committee Meeting–Join Us!

OGIS Fiscal Year 2018 Report Now Available

This year—2019—we celebrate 10 years as the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Ombudsman. Anniversaries have a way of sparking reflection on the past, present and future—the theme of our 2019 Report for Fiscal Year (FY) 2018. FY 2018 was our busiest yet. Among our activities, we Handled 4,681 requests for assistance—from FOIA requesters and agencies … Continue reading OGIS Fiscal Year 2018 Report Now Available

It’s Not Too Late to Register: Sunshine Week 2019!

If you would like to attend OGIS’s Sunshine Week event in person, there is still time to register! OGIS will celebrate Sunshine Week 2019 on Monday, March 11 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the National Archives’ William G. McGowan Theater. We have planned an exciting program that will include a conversation between David … Continue reading It’s Not Too Late to Register: Sunshine Week 2019!

Mark Your Calendars: Wednesday, March 20, 2019 FOIA Advisory Committee Meeting

An academic snapshot of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) administration will be the focus of the next FOIA Advisory Committee meeting on March 20, 2019, in the William G. McGowan Theater at the National Archives in Washington, DC. The meeting, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., is the third of the 2018-2020 term of the … Continue reading Mark Your Calendars: Wednesday, March 20, 2019 FOIA Advisory Committee Meeting

Save the Date: Sunshine Week 2019!

Although Washington, DC, is facing the latest round of winter weather, we at OGIS are excited to announce our Sunshine Week 2019 event. Sunshine Week is an annual nationwide celebration of access to public information. Since the American Society of News Editors (ASNE) launched the initiative more than a decade ago, journalists, librarians, concerned citizens, civil … Continue reading Save the Date: Sunshine Week 2019!

Will You Be Our (FOIA) Valentine?

The FOIA process, like any relationship, depends on good communications. In the spirit of the season, OGIS offers Valentines greetings to FOIA stakeholders who demonstrate good communication skills every day. We love all hardworking FOIA professionals, but particularly those who pick up the phone to talk to requesters. While making a call is an investment … Continue reading Will You Be Our (FOIA) Valentine?