FREEDOM OF INFORMATION: Dilemma Over Public vs. Private

We have in the last couple decades confronted an unprecedented time and volume of government secrecy even as our technological developments have enabled an unconscionable level of identity and data mining. Governments - federal, state and local - stamp "SECRET" or "TOP SECRET" or "CONFIDENTIAL" over millions of documents and files containing what should be public information. Minnesota's Government Data Practices Act is riddled with rules designed to provide or withhold all kinds of information relating to the state's business. Experts disagree on which should be available and which should not.

Insidious in a democracy, the shutting down of information citizens must know to properly govern themselves has become an obsession of elected and appointed officials throughout the systems designed to serve us. Yes, we have the FOI - the Freedom of Information Act – but that has neither stopped nor abated the attempts to keep from the public the more critical record of their governing institutions.

And yet...and yet. We seem to be losing the battle to ensure and control our privacy, not to mention our bank accounts and personal belongings – our very identities. We think nothing of going online and ordering goods and services, giving up to an electronic data compiler the very information we hold dear. Why can't we stop the illegal mining of our data while we have to pry open government files? When, if ever, is government information legitimately kept from us? And how can we protect our personal lives from predators?

Transparency in Government is the theme of the 2009 Summit of the National Freedom of Information Coalition at the Marriott City Center in Minneapolis Friday, June 5 and Saturday, June 6th. TTT's ANDY DRISCOLL and LYNNELL MICKELSEN talk with scheduled speakers and others – a journalist/scholar, a heralded advocate, an ethicist and a librarian in search of the proper access and limits we should seek for governing ourselves and protecting privacy.

GUESTS:

• HELEN BURKE – Senior Librarian, Hennepin Co. Library Government Documents; President, MN Coalition on Government Information (MN-COGI).

• JANE KIRTLEY – Professor, School of Journalism, and Director, Silha Center for Media Law and Ethics - University of MN

• RICH NEUMEISTER – Citizen Lobbyist, FOI Advocate, Winner, 2009 John R. Finnegan Award

• REP. MARY LIZ HOLBERG, (R-36A-Lakeville) - Member, House Civil Justice Committee; Legislative advocate for Data Practices and enforcement.

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FREEDOM OF INFORMATION LINKS

PODCAST: G-CAST