(THIS ARTICLE IS MACHINE TRANSLATED by Google from Norwegian)
The monkeys can also symbolize the context we see very clearly in our work, which can be summarized as follows: If we do not know, we can not participate in a qualified way in the social debate. The right of access to public information is closely linked to the freedom of expression itself.
These lines I write from Tunis, the main state of Tunisia, the country where civil society representatives received the Nobel Peace Prize last year. I am here traveling for the Norwegian Press Association, which will run college support and educate Tunisian journalists in the opportunities that exist in public law. In a country where democracy is new and fragile, it is hailing injury claims against a press that relies heavily on oral sources, and where written documentation has been reserved for the state media under strict selection.
It is inspiring to be here. To see such signs as the journalists and the police talking together, saying that they previously represented two harsh contradictions, and should now try to see their roles differently. Police violence against journalists and photographers is decreasing. And Parliament has just agreed on what is characterized as one of the world's best laws on public administration. It comes into effect next year, and now both the bureaucracy and the press are preparing to use it in practice.
From work in In Norway, I know from experience that anyone who can use transparency laws has one of the most powerful tools a journalist can wish for. You can request access from any public agency, and the great thing is that the main rule is transparency. Another important provision is that you are entitled to a quick response (1-3 days) and it is free. If you need anonymity when requesting access, you still have the right to be taken seriously.
Access to public information can help reveal both corruption and conflicts of integrity, but also ensure confidence in the decisions that are made.
A favorite example from last year at home in Norway is Municipal Report's struggle for access to the Shareholder Register. Journalist Vegard Venli struggled for two years to get the entire dataset from the Tax Administration, and finally succeeded. He wrote a multitude of stories himself, but openly shared the information so everyone could search it. Here is a detailed overview of absolute
Norway has something to learn from the North African new democracy.
all shares in Norwegian companies, owned by both Norwegian companies and private individuals. The tool was used by Teknisk Ukeblad, among others, which linked it to the list of employees in the Norwegian Public Roads Administration.
I have experienced ugly sabotage against the right of access which is authorized in the Public Access to Information Act. An example from last year was when I got the go-ahead for the councilor in Arendal to hand out correspondence about Arendal week. Councilor Harald Danielsen simply deleted the case document I should have access to, and I lamented loudly that this law does not contain a wording on penalties for public officials that sabotage the right of access.
In Tunisia's new law there is such a wording. If a bureaucrat does something similar to what Arendal's councilor did, a hefty fine awaits. Norway has something to learn from the new North African democracy.
But in Tunisia, where the new Public Access to Information Act is now awaiting entry into force, there is uncertainty about how the law will be implemented in practice. Here they can perhaps learn a little from Norway, which is at the top of the world when it comes to facilitating electronic access to documents. The Directorate for Public Administration and ICT (Difi) has produced an electronic postal journal (OEP) in which more than 140 public agencies are gathered, including all county governors, all ministries and most directorates and supervisors. Surf a bit here instead of on Google – it can be very fruitful.
Not all public institutions that are subject to the transparency rules take the trouble to make their documents available. Then it will be far more difficult to gain access, both for journalists and others who want to look at them in the cards. Therefore, the newspaper Fædrelandsvennen has created an extra insight portal next to OEP. I have had the pleasure of working on developing it, and here we add the agencies we want, without asking them. So far, we have provided searchable medical records to the Church of Norway, the Storting, the universities, all the police districts and started working with the health trusts. Some are happy about it, others get angry.
A police lawyer called me and roared on the phone: "Who gave you permission to do this?" "I have not asked anyone for permission, nor do I need to do so," I replied.
Everyone has right of access to public records. Once we get them, we can do whatever we want with them. If someone wants to print something like toilet paper, they are free to do so. We chose to add search features to them and publish them. This is connected to a simple method for ordering access to the documents. We did it because the right to know is fundamental. It is simply connected with our freedom of speech.
Look at the power in the cards you too!
Public Electronic Postal Journal
Tarjei Leer-Salvesen is a freelance investigative journalist, with a background from Ny Tid, as well as Klassekampen, Fædrelandsvennen, Dagbladet and NRK Brennpunkt. He is also behind the web portal Innsyn.no
