EMPOWERING JOURNALISM THROUGH
THE RIGHT OF ACCESS TO INFORMATION
THE LEGAL LEAKS TOOLKIT HELPS JOURNALISTS OBTAIN
INFORMATION USING ACCESS TO INFORMATION LAWS
Why is the right of access to information important for journalism?
A Guide for Journalists on How to Access Information
The Legal Leaks Toolkit, developed by Access Info Europe and n-ost, helps journalists access information using Access to Information laws. The Toolkit is available in a generic international version and can be adapted to the legal framework of any country. The existing national versions, translated into local languages, are available below. You can also read more below about our training programme and about how to contact
the Legal Leaks Help Desk.
Why do media experts think access to information is important?
Journalists, activists, and media experts speak about the importance of access to information in their daily work. Watch all interviews here!
That little detail in the relationship between journalists and sources, that little one, is so important that could change the way in which we tell stories.
It is extremely important that there is this mechanism that you can use as a journalist to say “Hang on a minute, you need to give us this, because we have a right to know”.
It’s a great way to get stories, it’s a great way to fin out what governments in particular are doing, it’s a great way to find out where money goes, it’s a great way to prove accountability.
The right of access to information is very important for the journalists’ work; it’s important for everyday work, but it’s even more important for investigations.
Journalism is about investigation, it’s about asking questions; but it’s about documents as well, as a proof for questions, as a proof for answers
Basically, I need access to information to do my job as someone who is supposed to ensure the accountability of politicians, of public officials.
Cover photo: European Parliament via Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
EMPOWERING JOURNALISM LATEST NEWS
The Right to Diplomatic Information
The Wikileaks “Cablegate” scandal has brought sudden and extensive transparency to the area of international diplomacy. It raises, amongst others, the question of whether those who published the information acted legally or ethically. There is, however, another way of looking at this question: did those who originally failed to make this information public act legally or ethically? The right of
Legal Leaks Toolkit
OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media presents access to information toolkit for journalists Berlin, 3 May 2010 – To mark this year’s World Press Freedom Day, which has a special focus on the Right to Know, the OSCE, Access Info (Madrid), and Berlin-based n-ost Network for Reporting on Eastern Europe will present a toolkit for journalists on how to
“Legal Leaks”: Access to information and data security for journalists
Journalists play a central role in initiating and stimulating public debates but face constant challenges in accessing information from public bodies, particularly when that information relates to issues such as corruption and organised crime, violations of human rights, controversial international relations, environmental contamination, relationships with business and lobby groups, and the more sensitive aspects of EU integration. These challenges are