Question 1

The Supreme Court has ruled citizens and the press have a constitutional right of access to:

Accepted Answer

The Supreme Court has ruled that citizens and the press have a constitutional right of access to courtrooms. While the other options may have some level of public interest, they do not have the same level of importance as ensuring access to legal proceedings.

Question 2

The Family Educational and Privacy Protection Act requires high schools and colleges to withhold the following "educational records," EXCEPT:

Accepted Answer

Charges filed at a police department are not considered "educational records" and therefore are not covered under FERPA. Grades, student health records, and most student disciplinary records are considered "educational records" and must be protected under FERPA.

Question 3

Each of the following statements addresses a claim made by open-government organizations about FOIA compliance under the Trump administration, EXCEPT:

Accepted Answer

The statement about FOIA lawsuits rising to nearly 10 times what they were a decade before is not a specific claim made by open-government organizations about FOIA compliance under the Trump administration.

Question 4

Generally, under state open records laws:

Accepted Answer

Public officials who fail to comply with state open records laws can indeed face civil or criminal penalties, although it's true that stiff penalties are seldom imposed. This serves as a legal mechanism to ensure compliance with transparency and access to public records.

Question 5

In the 2019 criminal prosecution of a former press secretary to Atlanta's mayor for violating the Georgia Open Records Act:

Accepted Answer

The former press secretary was indeed convicted by a jury and ordered to pay a $1,500 fine for violating the Georgia Open Records Act. This penalty was seen as rare by many public records advocates. The former press secretary's violation occurred when she instructed another official to "drag this out as long as possible" and to "provide information in the most confusing format available" in response to a public records request.

Question 6

Records. Describe how the Society of Professional Journalists would evaluate the following definition of public records in an open records act: "A public record is a written memorial of a final action." What would be an alternative definition the society might prefer?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Records. Describe how the Society of Professional...

Question 7

Embedded journalists. Hundreds of journalists were embedded with American troops during
Operation Iraqi Freedom. Under what legal authority did the journalists accompany American troops? The first amendment? A federal statute? Other? Did journalists have complete freedom to publish and broadcast whatever they chose to report?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Embedded journalists. Hundreds of journalists were embedded...

Question 8

Pell v. Procunier and Saxbe v. Washington Post. What is the significance of Pell and Saxbe?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Pell v. Procunier and Saxbe v. Washington...

Question 9

Electronic Freedom of Information Act. Why is EFOIA important?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Electronic Freedom of Information Act. Why is...

Question 10

National Archives and Records Administration v. Favish. How did the Supreme Court expand the already broad privacy exemption in the Federal Freedom of Information Act in its decision in National Archives and Records Administration v. Favish?

Accepted Answer

The answer of National Archives and Records Administration v. Favish....

Question 11

Public access to government records depends on several provisions of open records laws, including the (l) stated purpose of the law, (2) how government agencies and records are defined, (3) the time allowed for government responses to requests, (4) the fees charged, and the (5) penalties imposed if governments illegally withhold records. Briefly outline how any four of the above five provisions should be framed in an open records statute designed to provide maximum access to public records. Briefly describe how these four provisions in the federal Freedom of Information Act serve or fail to serve public access to government information

Accepted Answer

The answer of Public access to government records depends on...

Quiz 12: Access to Information