Newspapers Canada will release its seventh annual national Freedom of Information (FOI) audit and related materials on Monday, September 24. The launch of the 2012 report coincides with Canadian Right to Know Week, which takes place this year on September 24 to 28.
The annual FOI audit provides a unique opportunity to compare the performance of various public institutions across Canada. The results of the national survey offer insight into the overall health of Canada’s access to information regimes and reveal which government departments are lagging when it comes to being genuinely open and accountable to Canadians.
The FOI audit was done in collaboration with Fred Vallance-Jones, assistant professor of journalism at the University of King’s College, and his team.The team of auditors requested the same information across all three levels of government, and have tabulated the scores of the various government departments.
Newspapers Canada will be providing members of the Canadian Newspaper Association (CNA) and the Canadian Community Newspapers Association (CCNA) with advanced copies of the 2012 FOI audit on Friday, September 21. If you are interested in receiving an advanced copy of the 2012 Newspapers Canada FOI audit, please contact Jessica Napier at jnapier@newspaperscanada.ca.
On Monday, September 24, the 2012 FOI audit will be made publicly available on the Newspapers Canada website to non-member newspapers and members of the public.
For more information about Canada’s national FOI audit and to view past audits, please visit www.newspaperscanada.ca/public-affairs/freedom-information.
