The International Freedom of Information Index: The Promise and Practice of FOI laws

Most Freedom of Information (FOI) Laws make extensive promises about public access to government- held information. Giving the citizens (including journalists) access to quality, un-spun information is a way to hold politicians and public servants accountable. Well functioning FOI systems are safe guards against corruption and mal-administration. Unfortunately, for the public, FOI promises are easy to make, but hard to deliver in practice. This book describes a pilot project comparing the FOI regimes in Australia, the US, South Africa, Thailand and Sweden. The study lays the foundation for the first International FOI Index. The functionality of Freedom of Information is important because it indicates how serious a country is about transparency and accountability ? two important properties of mature democracies. To be governed can be a painful experience ? especially when the politicians you have elected do not deliver on their promises. Providing proper access to information about the government is part of a healthy democracy. After all, governments hold the information on behalf of the public ? don?t they?

Johan Lidberg, Phd, MA, BA, is Senior Lecturer and Chair of the Journalism Program at Murdoch University in Perth, Western Australia. Dr Lidberg's research area is Freedom of Information and his projects have laid the foundation for the International FOI Index. He has worked in print and broadcast journalism since 1989.