8 years ago
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MuckRock's Approach Is Working, One Public Records Request at a Time
On July 4, the Freedom of Information Act turns 50, and yet our government is more secretive than ever. One Boston journalism startup is trying to change that—and their revolutionary approach to transparency is working, one public records request at a time. Massachusetts is the birthplace of the American Revolution. But lately, the “We the People” spirit has been conspicuously lacking when it comes to government transparency.
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http://www.bostonmagazine.com
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These folks are providing a service that is essential to good governance, which is to follow the paper trails. The daily processes of government have been made intentionally tedious, in the hope that people will not follow up. A simple reform, requiring all government documents to be published online (they have them in electronic form already) should be put into place to remove any and all barriers (bogus copy charges, delays, complicated request procedures). Until that happens, MuckRock and those like them are critical.