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January 22, 2009
NAHJ Commends President Obama’s Move Towards Transparency
Media Contact: Ivan Roman, NAHJ Executive Director, (202) 662-7178, iroman@nahj.org
The Board of Directors of The National Association of Hispanic Journalists commends President Obama for taking swift action to reverse the policies of the previous administration by ordering federal agencies to err on the side of disclosure when dealing with the public's right to know.
President Barack Obama's first two executive orders represent an important step toward increasing transparency in the executive office and renewing the federal government's responsibility to its people through the Freedom of Information Act. President Obama signed executive orders Wednesday reversing a post 9/11 policy set by the Bush administration that made it easier for government agencies to deny FOIA requests for records and permitted former presidents and their heirs to claim executive privilege to keep records secret.
“For a long time now there’s been too much secrecy in this city,” President Obama said Wednesday at a swearing-in ceremony for senior White House officials. “Transparency and rule of law will be the touchstones of this presidency.”
NAHJ hopes that this further encourages members of the media and the public to learn more about the Freedom of Information Act and feel empowered to use it. It is only by understanding the actions of government that a democracy can truly thrive. NAHJ also hopes that Obama continues to work toward strengthening FOIA law and respecting it as his administration works through its tenure.
NAHJ would encourage the Obama administration to look deeply into the procedures for handling these requests and also addressing the backlog of requests that have mounted at many federal agencies.
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