A freedom of information conference kicked off Thursday night with a UF alumna sharing her experiences as an investigative reporter.
Author and investigative journalist Sharyl Attkisson spoke in Weimer Hall’s Gannett Auditorium during a lecture called “The Rightful Owners of Public Information.”
The event was the start of a two-day conference called “Breaking Down Walls: The Fight for Open Government.”
Attkisson spoke to a full audience on the Freedom of Information law and how government officials tend to prolong releasing documents.
“The idea (of the law) was … all the things federal officials and elected officials do for us is our information: We own it, not them, and we should be able to have access to it without a lot of trouble,” Attkisson said.
She said the federal bureaucracy seeks to advance itself by controlling the flow of information.
“By making a Freedom of Information request, it simply said, ‘You have to provide this public information to me, and you ought to do it in 30 days,’” she said.
She said the materials belong to the public and should not be kept as officials’ secrets.
“(Journalists) are here to do what’s right for the public opinion,” Attkisson said.
Leanna Scachetti, a UF telecommunication senior, said she attended the speech because she is not too familiar with the Freedom of Information law.
“I thought this would be a great opportunity for me as an aspiring journalist to learn about it now, so when I go to the workforce very soon, I’ll have an understanding with it,” Scachetti, 21, said.
She said she wants to take advantage of learning from established journalists.
“I think it’s important as future journalists do our homework and to not get complacent,” Scachetti said.
[A version of this story ran on page 4 on 3/27/2015 under the headline “Event on freedom of information opens with UF alumna”]
