NEWS GROUPS URGE CONGRESS NOT TO WEAKEN FOIA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP89B00236R000200120022-5
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 8, 2008
• Sequence Number: 22
• Publication Date: October 1, 1983
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Approved For Release 2008/12/08 :CIA-RDP89B00236R000200120022-5
EDITOR AND PUBLISHER
1 October 1983
News groups urge Congress not to weaken FoIA
Four organizations of print or broad-
cast nt~~s arc circulating petitions urg ;
ing Congress to reieet any legislation
that would weaken the Freedom of
lnformation Act.
The organizations are asking cash of
their chapters to post tht petitions end
invite afl journalists and news industr~~
employees to sign.
Sponsoring the campaign arc the
Society of Professional Journalists,
S~gm~ Dt)ta Chi; The Newspaper Guilcl;
the Radio-"television News Directors
Association; and the American FeJera-
tion of Television and Radio Artists.
The petitions read: "Whereas, the
Federal Freedom .of Information Act
was enacted by Congress in 1966 in an
efYurt to nr.-ke federal agencies more
open and accountable; and
"Whertas, the FoIA has been an
important and efTcctive tool for jour-
nalists, scholars, public-interest
groups, and ordinary citizens to pro-
vide the public with information about
governmental violations of civil fiber-
11[5, bufCLUCIil11C waSle grid abusC, COn?
sumel? fraud, and other vital is~ucs; and
"Whereas, the Reagan
Administration, intclligencc :1nd law
enforcement agencies, and certain
industry gruup~ have sought legislation
to greatly expand the more-than-ample
exemptions in the existing act;
"Now, therefore, we, the
undersigned journalists and news
industry employees, support the efTorts
of the Society of Professional Jour-
nalists, ~-hc Newspaper Guild, the
Radio?'1?elevision News Directors
Association, the American Federation
of Television and- Radio Artists, and
other national media groups to prc?
serve and strengthen the Federal Free-
dom of lnformation Act. We call upon
Congress -o reject any legislation that
would weaken it."
Approved For Release 2008/12/08 :CIA-RDP89B00236R000200120022-5