Internship
generates FOI how-to manual
By Kelly Jackson
J-School Web Reporter
 |
photo
by Kate Medley |
"Without
reporters knowing specifically what the law is, specifically
what their rights are, it's
easy for them to get manipulated," said Lucas
Tanglen who spent his summer internship creating the
FOI Deskbook. |
For most journalism students at the University
of Montana, an internship gives them the opportunity to work in
a fast-paced newsroom. But for one student it was an opportunity
to publish a book.
Lucas Tanglen, a senior in print journalism at UM and chief copy
editor for the Montana Kaimin, spent six weeks last summer in Helena
editing the Montana Freedom of Information Deskbook.
The FOI book is a 160-page reference that provides information
about government documents and meetings to which the public has
access under the Montana Constitution.
“There have been quite a few issues that have come up just over
the past couple of years with reporters trying to get access
to documents that by law they should be able to get,” said
Tanglen.
The FOI book is a project sponsored by the Montana
Freedom of Information Hotline, an organization funded by the state’s media. A lawyer
for the hotline fields phone calls from the public and answers
questions about what information is public record. Tanglen secured
his internship with the help of the hotline’s current
lawyer, John Shontz.
While attending the Montana
Newspaper Association Convention last
June, Tanglen ran into Shontz, who mentioned that he was looking
for either a journalism student or a law student to organize and
compile information about open government into a working book.
Tanglen agreed to sort out the material, and editing the book later
became his summer internship.
During the internship, Tanglen scrutinized two 170-page documents
filled with sentence fragments and citations to laws and court
cases. He also did his own research, checking on other laws and
reading previous Supreme Court cases to clarify some of the information
Shontz gave him. Tanglen transformed this data into the book, which
is divided into categories such as Open Meetings, Public Documents
and E-mails as Public Records.
When the book was completed, the Montana Newspaper Association
bought one copy for each of its newspaper members in Montana. Montana
reporters and J-School professors have also purchased the FOI book.
“[The FOI book] has been really well received by all the newspapers
that have gotten it,” said Tanglen. “We’ve
had great feedback.”
The FOI book has also come in handy for other groups. The Realtors
Association purchased the FOI book to aid its fight for access
to tax records and land documents that may affect the value of
a house. The Hotline board also sent the FOI book to the League
of Cities and Towns so that city employees have access to a resource
on freedom of information law.
“This book can help people answer a lot of those basic questions
without having to go to a lawyer, to resort to experts to
get very simple advice,” said J-School professor Dennis Swibold, who
helped Tanglen secure the FOI book project as his internship. “People
now have a legal leg to stand on.”
To purchase the Montana Freedom of Information Deskbook ($24.95
with accompanying CD), contact:
J. M. Shontz and Associates
208 North Montana Ave., Suite 205
Helena, MT 59601
(406)-442-6520
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