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INBA ENCOURAGES SWIFT PASSAGE OF FOIA REFORM BILLThe Illinois News Broadcasters Association calls upon members of the state Senate to quickly pass SB189, a set of significant reforms to the Illinois Freedom of Information Act."This bill represents a good, first step to true information access reform in Illinois," said Jim Gee, INBA President. Passed 116-0 Wednesday by the Illinois House, SB189 would strengthen and clarify the current Freedom of Information Act, and it would empower the Public Access Counselor, part of the Attorney General's office, to act directly in matters of FOIA and Open Meetings Act violations. The bill would narrow the scope of the often-abused privacy exemption to open access and would reduce the time government agencies have to respond to a request under the law. It also would reinforce the Local Records Act, which requires law enforcement to release arrest information, including mug shots, within 72 hours of arrest. While discouraged that proposed criminal penalties were dropped from the final legislation, INBA is nonetheless encouraged that the Attorney General and lawmakers included substantial civil fines for willful violation of FOIA. "The bill contains exceptions that would still keep some details, such as those regarding investigations into abuse allegations at care facilities, out of the public record," Gee said. "But we believe the merits of this bill far outweigh its weaknesses, and we will ask lawmakers to consider further changes in the future." For more than 50 years, the Illinois News Broadcasters Association has worked to educate electronic journalists and to promote open access and the First Amendment. It consists of nearly 300 professional and student journalists, and journalism educators. For more information, contact: Jim Gee INBA President 217.369.8755 jimgee@siu.edu 5/21/09 FOI Update: Write Your Lawmaker TODAY!A revised analysis from FOI/OMA Chair Bob Roberts:Just when it appeared that the movement for openness in Illinois government was poised to take a quantum leap forward, competing rewrites of the Illinois Freedom of Information Act have emerged. While one is less than perfect, it is by far preferable to the other version. Attorney General Lisa Madigan's office May 11 released a rewrite (HB1370 House Amendment 1) that, while not perfect, is a big advance from the current law in a number of ways. The other version, authored by Democratic leadership in the General Assembly, and is being submitted as an amendment to Senate Bill 1265, is a step backward. INBA cannot recommend the rewritten SB1265. We prefer the attorney general's version (HB1370) for a number of reasons: -Wording that encompasses both existing and future technology, so no one can claim new technology is exempt from the act because it is not specifically named; -A reduction in the number of days allowed to reply to requests to five days from seven, with a possible five-day extension, and the provision that the two sides can negotiate a longer period; -Waiver of a public agency's right to assert most exemptions, and a waiver of copying fee requirements, in cases in which an agency fails to meet those deadlines or ignores them; - A requirement that agencies must prove in court any exemptions they claim by "clear and convincing evidence;" - Class C misdemeanor criminal sanctions on top of the civil fines for willful violation (up to 30 days in jail and a $1,500 fine); - Verbiage that indicates the court "shall" impose fines of $100 to $1,000 for willful violations, taking into account the agency's record of compliance in other cases; - Recognition that public records turned over to consultants for their use remain public records and must remain accessible under normal rules; - Statutory fee waiver for the first 25 pages requested and a limit of 15 cents a page after that; - A provision that bars agencies from asking why information is sought; - Recognition that payroll records are publicly-available documents, although addresses and social security numbers may be redacted; and -Elimination of the cumbersome requirement that requests and appeals go through the head of an agency. The measure also amends the state's whistleblower act to specifically forbid retaliation for refusing to participate in attempts to thwart FOIA. The Democratic leadership's bill (SB1265): - Eliminates mention of criminal penalties for willful violation; - Removes the language that would impose a waiver of most exemptions if a public body fails to respond to an FOIA request in the allotted time period; - Reinstates a number of automatic privacy exemptions that are deleted in the attorney general's rewrite; - Requires all FOIA requests to go through agency FOIA officers, and allows the agency to demand requests in writing; - Does not "start the clock" on FOIA requests until the request is physically in the hands of the FOI officer, so that if the officer is on vacation, out sick or otherwise unable to be in the office, the clock is not running; - No longer requires information requested under FOIA to be provided in the format in which it is kept. By comparison, the issues INBA has with the Attorney General's version (HB1370) are relatively minor: FOIA requests must still be made in writing. It does not specify that certain police blotter information is public information that must be furnished immediately. The Attorney General's redraft retains more than 20 exemptions; several irk your FOI chair quite a bit, including those that keep secret all information provided to Abuse Prevention Review Teams on sexual assaults and deaths at nursing homes, information given child death review teams, certain information on predatory lending and the results of faculty peer evaluations and student disciplinary hearings. IPA finds most objectionable the exemption for preliminary documents made by members, employees and officials of public bodies. To date, efforts by the Attorney General's office, the Illinois Reform Commission and the Illinois Press Association to reach a compromise with the Democratic leadership on the competing rewrites have failed. IPA and the Reform Commission stand behind the Attorney General's version, and INBA believes you should as well. Thus, INBA urges journalists across the state of Illinois to weigh in and to be specific about what you like and dislike. While it is not everything that the news media might seek in an FOI law, the Attorney General's version is probably far more than we ever could have hoped to get before the showdown earlier this year between the legislature and former Gov. Rod Blagojevich. Government behind closed doors is rarely a good thing, and it has been far too common in Illinois for the media and the public to get the cold shoulder and that was particularly true in the Ryan and Blagojevich years. It remains the order of the day in far too many places in state and local government, whether through ignorance or through willful blockage of the people's right to know. SB1265 is evidence that this mindset has not necessarily changed with the change in administrations. The Attorney General also has released a redraft of HB4165, which would establish the Office of the Public Access Counselor as a permanent fixture in the AG's office, with the ability to issue binding opinions, although the Access Counselor would be able to negotiate in such cases if he or she deems it a workable solution. This measure, if it becomes law as envisioned by the Attorney General, will be of great importance in the future, and we urge your unqualified support. Apparently the rancor and embarrassments of recent years has not been enough for some leaders in the General Assembly to try to slip by an inferior bill. That is why it is more important than ever for friends of the First Amendment to speak out and be specific. Time is short. Write today. 5/21/09 Update - Letter Templates to LawmakersBelow are links to a letter template for voicing your support of HB1370, which makes changes to the Freedom of Information Act, and HB4165, which would codify the Public Access Counselor's Office.HB1370_INBA_template.doc HB1370_INBA_template.rtf The proposed amendment to HB1370 is available here in PDF form: HB1370ham001.pdf A possible (and as of 6:00 p.m. tonight, yet-to-be-introduced) amendment to SB1265 is here in PDF form. INBA discourages consideration of this possible amendment: SB1265%20Possible%20Amendment.pdf Update 5/21/09 - Dueling FOI DraftsA second, separate proposal to change to both the FOIA and the position of Pubic Access Counselor is being circulated. It appears to be fiendishly watered-down... to the point that it actually is a regression from the FOI law as it currently stands. We're working to find out more about it so we can craft an appropriate response. In the meantime, we still believe the HB4165 and the amendment to HB1370 should be supported. Check back here often for updates.-- Jim Gee INBA President FOI Law Change - INBA Members Act Now!Everyone,Lawmakers are moving closer to a revision of Illinois' Freedom of Information Act. While not perfect, it represents a good start. That analysis, as you'll see below in a report from our FOI chair Bob Roberts, comes with some substantial caveats. It is important that you talk about these proposed changes in your newsrooms this week-- the FOI law is instrumental to our mission as broadcast journalists to keep the public informed. No change in this law should be made lightly or proceed without our voice being hear. I also ask that members bring this to their news directors and general managers. These changes deserve a full-throated response from management. As INBA President, I will be weighing in formally, with Bob's assistance, on behalf of our organization. It is also important that you, the individual journalist, take the time to write lawmakers and the Attorney General to express concerns. ---Jim Gee, INBA President The Champaign Experience!Thanks to everyone who worked so hard to make the 2009 Spring Convention in Champaign a success! Here are a few images from our three-day event... much more to come!Special thanks to longtime INBA member Lee Milner for the photos!   Our opening Saturday session, "Making Yourself Indispensable" focused on the need for broadcast journalists to master many roles in their newsrooms.  Professionals and students gather for the INBA business meeting at lunch.  INBA Freedom of Information/Open Meetings Act chair Bob Roberts (WBBM-AM) talks about how the former governor's antics have shaped the ongoing reform of Illinois' FOI law (INBA is tracking this-- members should expect an alert by e-mail as negotiations on these reforms proceed!) See you in Peoria for the Fall Convention - Oct. 2 - 4, 2009! SPRING 2009 Meeting InformationThe agendas and past minutes are now online for members to review. Go to the News section and follow the links! See you in Champaign!Spring 2009 Convention InformationOnline registration for the Spring 2009 INBA convention in Champaign has closed. WLS-AM's Roe Conn is the keynote speaker. Click here for more information.VIEW THE FINALISTS for 2009 SINBA AwardsThe list of finalists is available here.Students-- Apply for a $1,300 INBA Scholarship TODAY!INBA is offering up to four $1300 scholarships this year. The money can be used toward the cost of books, tuition or other expenses to be incurred while enrolled as a full-time student or to cover living expenses during an internship at a radio or television station serving an Illinois market.Based on an application and personal interview, the INBA Honors and Awards Committee will award the scholarships to post high school students who have demonstrated an interest and potential in broadcast news. We will also consider financial need and academic performance. All scholarship applicants must be a member of the INBA. You can join the organization by clicking here. Student membership dues are $20. The postmark deadline for applications is March 11, 2009. Finalists must be interviewed on Friday, April 24th at the Spring ‘09 INBA Convention at the I Hotel in Champaign, Illinois. Scholarship winners will be invited to stay through the convention as our guests for the weekend. Other semi-finalists are encouraged to stay for the convention but at their own expense. Applications are available for download as a MS Word document or Adobe PDF. Questions? Contact Honors and Awards Chair Dara Brockmeyer at WJBC at (309)-821-1000 ext. 208. Media Access to Governor's Impeachment TrialINBA applauds the access afforded to broadcast media by the Illinois State Senate as the impeachment trial of Governor Blagojevich continues. Those interested can listen and watch through the General Assembly website here.Broadcast media access to the Senate proceedings in Springfield is the best way to insure the public's right to full disclosure of this historic event. It would be easy to imagine the public's outcry if the removal of Illinois' highest elected official was attempted without this kind of coverage. Further, the media access granted in the case, through the use of pool feeds and a reserved recording area, shows that coverage can happen without disruption of the important work at hand. Throughout its long history, INBA has advocated complete and open access to all aspects of government. As an organization of professional broadcasters, we constantly strive to educate ourselves on responsible coverage. This includes camera and microphone access to the full Illinois court system. INBA believes that Illinois' trial courts are as much a public forum as the Senate chambers. Granted, the work done there is different, but the need and right of the public to have complete access, to insure the institutions at work are conducted in their interests, are the same. Our organization hopes citizens throughout Illinois will look upon the media access granted in the Senate as a blueprint for access in Illinois' trial courts. We believe the citizens of Illinois deserve no less. Jim Gee INBA President INBA Winter Board MeetingThe winter meeting of the INBA Board of Directors will be Saturday, January 24, 2009 at Noon at the WTAX studios in Springfield. All are welcome to attend.INBA Fall 2008 Convention - Success in Carbondale!    Special thanks to all who made the Fall 2008 Convention in Carbondale a success! Over the weekend, we learned about good reporting practices from Mike Schuh and Craig Cheatham, how to work better with the Illinois National Guard, and we took a critical look at how we deal with grieving families when covering the news. Illinoisan of the Year Mike Lawrence shared his wit and wisdom looking at the current state of Illinois politics, and we raised more than $4,000 for scholarships (check out Ryan Hermes' cool grilling tools)! All of this comes through the hard work of many people, including convention chair Jennifer Fuller, hospitality chair Angie Wyatt, Joey Helleny and Eileen Waldron of SIUC, Jeff Williams and Brad Palmer of WSIU-FM, and students Emily Ford and Erik Rancatore. (Photos: Lee Milner) PUBLIC POLICY INSTITUTE DIRECTOR NAMED ILLINOISAN OF THE YEAR(Carbondale, IL)-The Illinois News Broadcasters Association has named the Director of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute, Mike Lawrence, as its Illinoisan of the Year.Every year, the INBA recognizes an Illinoisan of the Year. The Illinoisan of the Year is a person who has contributed to the benefit of Illinois citizens or a group thereof, someone who has brought prestige or recognition to the state, who contributed to the news profession, and/or broadened access to public information. Lawrence has done a combination of all of these at one time or another. He has been a watchdog of Illinois politics for decades and continues to work for reform as Director of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute. INBA Treasurer and WSIU-FM Anchor/Reporter, Jennifer Fuller says, "Mike's enthusiasm for teaching budding journalists at Southern Illinois University is infectious and he's been a beloved mentor to dozens if not hundreds during his time in Carbondale. He exemplifies journalism ethics and has earned the respect of journalists and politicians across the country." Lawrence has been Director of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at SIU since October 1 of 2004. He began at the institute as its Associate Director in 1997. Lawrence was also Press Secretary and Senior Policy Adviser to Governor Jim Edgar for nearly a decade. Before working for Edgar, Lawrence was a journalist for 25 years, working for the Quad City Times, Lee Enterprises and the Chicago Sun Times and writing a syndicated political column for Illinois newspapers. He has also served on the Illinois Courts Commission and the State Board of Ethics. INBA's past presidents are asked to nominate and vote on the Illinoisan of the Year. Past Illinoisans of the Year include: Charlie Wright, former Owner of WBYS, Canton, IL; U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, the Illinois National Guard and Reserves; and former Governor Jim Thompson for his work on the 9/11 Commission. For more than 50 years, the Illinois News Broadcasters Association has served broadcast journalists across the state as a source of education, professional development, and as a resource for dealing with First Amendment and Open Meetings Act issues. INBA also works as an advocate for legislative and judicial reform as it relates to the electronic media. More than 200 professional and student journalists are members of INBA. More on the organization can be found online at www.inba.net. MEDIA NOTE: INBA will present Lawrence his Illinoisan of the Year Award at the Holiday Inn and Conference Center in Carbondale on Saturday, September 27th at 7pm. He is also our keynote speaker. Please contact Jennifer Fuller to make arrangements for coverage. #### Agendas for Board Meeting and General Membership MeetingThe INBA Board of Directors meets Friday, September 26th at 2:00 p.m at the Carbondale Holiday Inn. The agenda for the meeting is available here. It will be preceded by a committee meeting with SIU's SINBA chapter. All are welcome to attend both.The General Membership Meeting will be held on Saturday, September 27th at 12:15 p.m. as part of our convention lunch. It will include the appointment of committees and the election of officers and directors. The agenda is here. You can also review the Spring 2008 membership meeting minutes here (in Adobe PDF format). If you have any questions, feel free to contact INBA President Jim Gee at jimgee@siu.edu or by phone at 217-369-8755. Schedule Updated for INBA Fall 2008 ConventionThe schedule of events is online and updated on our convention mini-site. Click here.Learn the Secrets of Great Storytelling at the FALL 2008 CONVENTION The Secrets of Great Storytelling will feature Mike Schuh of WJZ-TV in Baltimore. This session will help both videographers and reporters (and one-man-banders) get beyond the ordinary to craft stories that are memorable and have impact.Mike is a faculty member at the prestigious annual NPPA NewsVideo Workshop in Norman, Oklahoma. His storytelling workshops have taken him to points as far away as Denmark. In Baltimore, his awards include nine Emmys and a regional Murrow Award. An SIU grad, Mike has also worked in Cape Girardeau, Indianapolis, and Louisville. His hometown is Waukegan. Register TODAY for the INBA Fall 2008 Convention in Carbondale! Think your station doesn't have the time or the money to do real investigative journalism? Think again!That's just one topic which will be explored when INBA holds its fall convention at the Holiday Inn and Convention Center in Carbondale, September 26-28. The planning committee has been hard at work for more than a year working on the event. Check out the convention mini-site for updates, including info on hotel reservations and both mail-in and online registration. More workshops will be finalized soon. Plus, we'll elect new officers and directors, have a way-cool Friday Night Reception featuring Illinois winemakers, honor this year's recipient of our Illinoisan of the Year Award, and raise money the help educate future broadcast journalists with our annual Scholarship Auction. Click here to begin the registration process. Professional members pay only $65 if they register before September 15th! INBA Summer Board Meeting AgendaThe Illinois News Broadcasters Association Board of Directors will meet on Saturday, July 12, 2008 at 11:00 a.m. Everyone is invited to attend. The Board will meet in Fell Hall, located on the campus of Illinois State University.You can view the agenda for the meeting by clicking here. Minutes are also available online for the Spring 2008 Board Meeting and the Spring 2008 General Membership Meeting. Please note that these minutes are pending Board approval. If you have questions, comments, or suggestions, please contact INBA President Jim Gee at jimgee@siu.edu. "Making Sense of City and School Budgets" - Register Now for FREE Professional Development SeminarINBA is partnering with the Foundation for American Communication to present a free, one-day seminar on Saturday, July 26, 2008 in Springfield. It's designed to help working journalists understand the ins and outs of municipal and school district budgets.Making Sense of City and School Budgets, a half-day seminar, will be held the morning of Saturday, July 26, on the campus of the The faculty will provide “dummy” budget sheets for municipalities and schools. They will walk participants through the important points of these budgets, sharing insights on how to best report on financial documents. Both presenters have experience teaching the budget process to The faculty includes:
The seminar includes a continental breakfast. There is no cost for working journalists, but participants must be registered in advance. For further details or to register, go to http://www.facsnet.org. FACS is an independent, nonprofit 501(c)(3) educational institution providing seminars for journalists on complex issues in the news. FACS |
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