Whitney Evans, Brigham Young University
Communications
The United States adopted a freedom of information law earlier than the United Kingdom, but the latter has surged ahead with its adoption of an Information Commissioner’s Office, well equipped to handle complaints and mediate in complex situations. This article delves into the attitudes of those who are intimately involved with freedom of information laws: journalists, lobbyists, campaigners, advocates and government officials. This qualitative research showed a similar attitude at a government level in both countries, namely, a hesitance of government officials to warm up to the law. The Information Commissioner in the United Kingdom and the Office of Government Information Services in the United States are essentially limited to recommendation and mediation services. The United States, initially progressive in its open government laws, has lagged behind many other nations in terms of disclosure. Because the law is nearly 50 years old, the Freedom of Information Act here is often taken for granted. Complacence, rather than outright defiance, obstructs successful implementation of this law. The United Kingdom has the lingering legacy of an Official Secrets Act obstructing what would otherwise be a clean slate on which to build their government disclosure laws. The key to successful utilization of freedom of information laws in both countries lies in a shift in each country’s culture, instigated by a marked change in the stories being told.