Empoderando al periodismo2021-08-30T12:55:14+02:00

EMPODERANDO AL PERIODISMO A TRAVÉS DEL DERECHO DE ACCESO A LA INFORMACIÓN

EL MANUAL ‘LEGAL LEAKS’ AYUDA A PERIODISTAS A OBTENER 
INFORMACIÓN USANDO LAS LEYES DE ACCESO A LA INFORMACIÓN

Why is the right of access to information important for journalism?

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 sensitive issues such as corruption, organised crime, environmental contamination, or relationships with business and lobby groups. The right of access to information and access to information laws have become a crucial tool in this context. They guarantee journalists access to information held by public bodies for their stories and investigations, enabling them to exercise their role as public watchdogs in our democracies.

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.
Juan Luis Sánchez, Deputy Director of eldiario.es

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».
Ana Petruševa, Managing Editor, Balkan Insight, BIRN Country Director Macedonia
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.
Gavin Sheridan, Investigative Journalist and FOI Expert

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.
Alexander Kashumov, Head of the Legal Team; Access to Information Programme Bulgaria
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
Christian Mihr, Executive Director of Reporters Without Borders Germany

Basically, I need access to information to do my job as someone who is supposed to ensure the accountability of politicians, of public officials.
Marcus Hametner, Co-Founder, Forum Informationsfreiheit Austria

Cover photo: European Parliament via Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

ÚLTIMAS NOTICIAS SOBRE EMPODERANDO AL PERIODISMO

30Jun 2015

Lanzamiento de Polétika.org: los compromisos políticos y electorales sobre el derecho de acceso a la información, ahora bajo lupa

Madrid, 30 de junio de 2015 – A falta de unos meses para las próximas elecciones generales, esperadas antes de final de año, 166 organizaciones de la sociedad civil [1] han lanzado hoy Polétika.org, una página web que llevará a cabo una labor de monitoreo de promesas electorales en áreas como transparencia, regulación del lobby, participación, protección social o fiscalidad

26Jun 2015

Lobbying Transparency via RTI Laws

This document sets out the classes of information that should be made available by public bodies in order to get a full picture of the influence of interest groups, particularly lobbyists, on governmental and legislative decision making. You can download the report in PDF and in Word . If you have any comments about the contents of this report, we

26Jun 2015

New lobby transparency civic-tech tools reveal corporate dominance of the Brussels bubble

Madrid, 25 June 2015 - The RTI community celebrated this week the launch of two groundbreaking online tools that enable citizens to monitor the interactions between high-level European Commission officials and lobbyists in the Brussels bubble: » LobbyFacts.eu, created by ALTER-EU's Corporate Europe's Observatory, Friends of the Earth Europe and LobbyControl, and relaunched last week, is a site that delivers

26Jun 2015

Victoria Anderica: «Queremos crear una ordenanza que obligue a dar la máxima información»

Eldiario.es | 26/06/2015 Español – El Ayuntamiento de Madrid, liderado por Manuela Carmena, ha nombrado a la activista Victoria Anderica directora del proyecto de transparencia, dependiente de la Concejalía de Participación Ciudadana, Transparencia y Gobierno Abierto, responsabilidad de Pablo Soto. Anderica, licenciada en Derecho y con un máster en Comunicación, Cultura y Ciudadanía Digitales, ha trabajado durante cinco años en el proyecto Access Info,

24Jun 2015

European Commission urged to act to improve transparency

Madrid, 24 June 2015 – In a letter to European Commission Vice-President Timmermans as part of an ongoing dialogue, Access Info Europe has called for action to improve EU transparency in law and in practice. The pro-transparency organisation stressed the urgent need to bring the EU’s access to documents rules into line with international standards, and raised concerns about problems

22Jun 2015

Ten Challenges for the Right to Information in the Age of Mega-Leaks

In the recently published book "The UN and Freedom of Expression and Information - Critical Perspectives", from Cambridge University Press, Access Info’s Executive Director Helen Darbishire maps the current state of the right of access to information and sets out some of the challenges currently facing the right. Darbishire notes that although the world’s first access to information law was