June 1, 2004
AccessNorthwest awarded grant for Discover Access Project

PULLMAN - The National Freedom of Information Coalition awarded AccessNorthwest a $10,000 grant for a series of research and education projects regarding citizen access to government information in the Pacific Northwest. AccessNorthwest is a research group within the Edward R. Murrow School of Communication at Washington State University.

The grant will assist in a variety of projects to be completed by summer 2005:

History and intent of Public Disclosure Act. The Washington PDA was approved by voters in 1972 as Initiative 276. AccessNorthwest will interview those involved in the initiative (pro and con) and examine documents and newspaper articles from the time regarding the initiative. A draft with preliminary information is posted at the AccessNorthwest Web site.

Access to campus crime information. A study in conjunction with a WSU class on access to public records will assess the level and completeness of campus crime information provided by public universities in the West, as required by the federal Clery Act.

Court records dissemination. Interviews with the 39 county court clerks in Washington state will examine how court documents are provided for the public.

Public opinion on access. A telephone poll will be conducted to assess public opinions toward access and identify perceived barriers toward citizen access.

Based on this research, as well as other projects under way at AccessNorthwest, a citizens brochure will be produced to help people access government information in order to become more informed, engaged in civic affairs and improve their lives through the power of knowledge.

The principal investigator for the grant is AccessNorthwest Director Dr. Susan Dente Ross and the project director is research assistant David Cuillier.

The National FOI Coalition seeks to protect the public's right to know through the education of media professionals, attorneys, academics, students and the general public. The NFOIC also provided $5,000 in startup assistance for AccessNorthwest in 2003.

The funding for AccessNorthwest was provided by NFOIC through a grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. Established in 1950, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation makes national grants in journalism, education and arts and culture. Its fourth program, community initiatives, is concentrated in 26 communities where Knight brothers published newspapers, but the Foundation is wholly separate from and independent of those newspapers.