The Student Publication Association is calling on all its members to help fight any proposed changes to weaken the Freedom of Information Act.
With less than 48 hours until a consultation on the current law closes, we need your help to ensure that public bodies – including universities – remain accountable, and that both journalists and the public don’t have to pay to find out information in the public interest.
The FOI Commission has been tasked with assessing whether any changes should be made to the FOI Act in its current form – find out more about what you can currently do here in a Training Tuesday’s special – and there are very real fears this could mean less information is released and charges will be introduced, massively disadvantaging student journalists.
We believe it’s important that power is held to account, and the FOI Act is a vital tool in making sure this happens.
Just this month we put together a shortlist of the very best student FOI stories, featuring everything from £20k trips for one Vice-Chancellor to a university spending £55,000 on a massive wheel. These would not have been unearthed without journalists’ access to information that is now facing a serious threat.
So, please join us in our campaign to help #SaveFOI and help pile on the pressure.
Four Simple Ways to Help:
- Share this on Social Media: Tweet and Facebook this article to recruit more people to the cause and show your support
- Sign and Share the Petition: Press Gazette and the Society of Editors have launched a petition, #HandsOffFOI, which you can easily sign and share
- Write to your MP: Make sure your elected representative knows how strongly you feel and tell them to fight for FOI
- Submit Evidence to the Commission: You have until 12pm – midday – this Friday (Nov 20) to submit your own evidence to to the commission