Access to public information is hampered by arcane systems and government roadblocks that prevent people from getting direct access to data. Federal court records are behind a government paywall. Filing and keeping up with a freedom of information act requests requires herculean dedication. Government data are sometimes timed to be released when people are least likely to focus on it. This is but just a few examples of the barriers placed between what should be public information and the actual public. As a result, unadulterated information is limited to a series of relatively small number of gatekeepers, be it public officials, bureaucrats or traditional news organizations who possess the time, means and understanding of the system. All with their own benevolent or sometimes decidedly not benevolent, priorities. This in turn, allows those same organizations unchecked latitude to make daily decisions on access that affects large swathes of people. Making public information more public is an inherent right in a functioning and healthy society.
Making Public Information More Public
Access to public information is hampered by arcane systems and government roadblocks that prevent people from getting direct access to data. Federal court records are behind a government paywall. Filing and keeping up with a freedom of information act requests requires herculean dedication. Government data are sometimes timed to be released when people are least likely to focus on it. This is but just a few examples of the barriers placed between what should be public information and the actual public. As a result, unadulterated information is limited to a series of relatively small number of gatekeepers, be it public officials, bureaucrats or traditional news organizations who possess the time, means and understanding of the system. All with their own benevolent or sometimes decidedly not benevolent, priorities. This in turn, allows those same organizations unchecked latitude to make daily decisions on access that affects large swathes of people. Making public information more public is an inherent right in a functioning and healthy society.