Freedom of Information Act analysis: its importance to journalism

The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) 2000 was introduced to give the public a right to access information held by public authorities. It allows all members of the public to hold institutions to account by giving these very institutions an obligation to disclose information upon request. 

Bill Worthy says that on a local level, the FOIA has had the most impact. Requests to local authorities account for 60-70% of all across England, a number that has tripled since 2005. For local citizens, FOI requests allow greater transparency between citizens and governance than previously seen. This increases public participation in local functioning's of government by giving citizens insight into how these systems operate. FOI requests also act as a monitor for individual's own right to their personal material, permitting citizens to be in the know of how much private information public authorities hold. 

One could also make the argument that the FOIA implicates journalists with greater opportunity to source information and deliver "watchdog" material to the public. However, research composed by Maria Zuffova shows that public institutions can oftentimes be hesitant to approve FOI requests for journalists. This, she attributes, particularly to sensitive material that could create reputational harm if published. Furthermore, she found that she was often faced with delays; authorities did not always respond and disclose information within the mandated time. This could be due to the former factor, the sensitivity of material, or could be due to staffing constraints for FOI officers in proportion to the amount of requests they receive, an issue Worthy similarly notes. In conclusion, FOI requests are useful and can provide greater accountability to public authorities, but its efficacy is burdened by practical limitations.