Journalists must ensure that the Freedom of Information Act lives up to its promise by constantly testing its parameters, the chairman of the National Newspapers of Ireland (NNI), Mr Louis O'Neill, said yesterday.
Launching the NNI's Freedom of Information Fact Sheet, he said that only by testing the Act would its real benefits accrue.
A copy of the Fact Sheet was presented to the Information Commissioner, Mr Kevin Murphy, who said it was a user-friendly guide on how to utilise effectively this very important piece of legislation.
Mr O'Neill, who is chief executive and group managing director of The Irish Times, said the Act marked a first and important step away from a culture of secrecy towards the creation of a culture of openness. Government had been obsessively secretive in the past and the Freedom of Information Act should lead to greater openness and transparency in terms of the workings of the State, he said.
The Fact Sheet was devised mainly to assist journalists in identifying the types of information which can now be accessed, the most efficient way to gain access and the systems in place to assist in gaining that access.
"Newspapers are an essential source of information for the general public and it is of utmost importance therefore that journalists learn to use the Act in order that they can effectively inform the public," said Mr O'Neill.
The Fact Sheet says that newspapers must be prepared to use the Act and to challenge any refusal of access.
It gives the following advice from a New Zealand journalist: "Most Freedom of Information requests will lead nowhere. This should not discourage an energetic reporter. Some of the very best stories are the result of `stab in the dark' requests. Any journalist not firing off regular Freedom of Information requests is simply not doing his or her job properly."