right to know

When seeking public records, know your rights, responsibilities

2022-03-31T17:08:40-05:00

By Kelley Shannon Executive Director Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas If you’ve seen news reports on suspicious state contracts or chemical waste pits or officials’ text messages in the Waco biker shootout, you may notice a recurring theme: Government records obtained through the Texas Public Information Act. Fortunately, our state’s public information law, created in the early 1970s, presumes government records are open unless a specific exemption in the law keeps the documents off limits. The public has a right to know. That means all citizens - not only journalists - can access government records. “It’s very easy,” said award-winning [...]

When seeking public records, know your rights, responsibilities2022-03-31T17:08:40-05:00

Public won when appeals court ruled juvenile murder hearings should have been open

2014-08-20T15:29:12-05:00

By Jim Witt Fort Worth Star-Telegram Originally published Aug. 19, 2014 The public won a significant “right-to-know” decision last week when Texas’ 2nd District Court of Appeals in Fort Worth unanimously ruled that State District Judge Jean Boyd abused her discretion by closing her juvenile courtroom twice early this year during a murder case. Because the media is part of “the public,” we don’t enjoy any special rights or privileges unavailable to ordinary citizens, so we were banished, too. As your de facto eyes and ears, we were severely hampered in our reporting on the proceedings, although our reporters did manage [...]

Public won when appeals court ruled juvenile murder hearings should have been open2014-08-20T15:29:12-05:00

FW Star-Telegram editor: DFW media teams up for right to know

2014-02-19T15:22:35-06:00

By Jim Witt Fort Worth Star-Telegram Originally published Feb. 18, 2014 In recent weeks, newspapers in Fort Worth and Dallas and the region’s four TV stations affiliated with the major broadcast networks did something they’ve never done before, at least since I became editor of the Star-Telegram in 1996. We worked together to help protect open records and open hearings in the Texas judicial system. On their own, each of the major media outlets in the DFW area — theStar-Telegram, The Dallas Morning News, KDFW/Channel 4, KXAS/Channel 5, WFAA/Channel 8 and KTVT/Channel 11 — have been staunch defenders of protecting the public’s right to [...]

FW Star-Telegram editor: DFW media teams up for right to know2014-02-19T15:22:35-06:00

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  • Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas
    Kelley Shannon, Executive Director
    3001 N. Lamar Blvd., Suite 302
    Austin, Texas 78705

  • (512) 377-1575

  • [email protected]

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