11 new members added to Freedom of Information Act Hall of Fame

ARLINGTON, Va. — Eleven new members were inducted into the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Hall of Fame today during the National Freedom of Information Day conference, "Access, Privacy and Security: A Troubled Tangle." The annual conference, sponsored by the First Amendment Center in cooperation with the American Library Association (ALA), was held at The Freedom Forum.

"This year's inductees represent a variety of backgrounds, including a former White House official, a member of Congress and public-interest lawyers representing various constituencies, not just the print press or even the news media," said Jane Kirtley, Silha professor of media ethics and law at the University of Minnesota and chair of the FOIA Hall of Fame selection committee. "The Freedom of Information Act belongs to everyone, and I think the breadth of our choices this year illustrates that."

James Madison, known as the "Father of the Constitution," is among the inductees. March 16 is the 250th anniversary of Madison's birth, and National Freedom of Information Day is observed on that day each year.

The FOIA Hall of Fame is sponsored by the Coalition to Support and Expand the Freedom of Information Act, consisting of more than 40 organizations concerned with access, freedom of information and press freedom issues. Honorees are chosen based on their career service to the principles of access to government information and their efforts to maintain an open society.

Keynote speaker John Podesta, former White House chief of staff, was among the FOIA honorees. Podesta also received the James Madison Award from the ALA acknowledging his contributions to upholding the public's right to government information, including arguing for a presidential veto of anti-leak legislation — the so-called "Official Secrets Act" — and promoting the automatic declassification of classified materials.

Podesta said, "The American Library Association and The Freedom Forum embody a fundamental tenet that has been a guiding principle during my three decades in public service: the protection of openness in government."

This year's inductees are:

• Steven Aftergood, Federation of American Scientists
• Rebecca Daugherty, Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press
• Donald Edwards, former member of Congress from California
• John R. Finnegan Sr., former editor, St. Paul Pioneer Press
• Harry A. Hammitt, editor, Access Reports
• Beryl A. Howell, general counsel, U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary
• Patrice McDermott, OMB Watch
• James Madison, former U.S. president and "Father of the Constitution"
• Kate Martin, National Security Archive
• John D. Podesta, former White House chief of staff
• J. Laurent Scharff, former general counsel, Radio-Television News Directors Association

This is the second induction of FOIA Hall of Fame members since the initial class of 24 members in 1996. In addition to Kirtley, selection committee members were Barbara Cochran, president, Radio-Television News Directors Association; Nancy Kranich, president, American Library Association; Ray Marcano, president, Society of Professional Journalists; Richard Schmidt, counsel, American Society of Newspaper Editors; and Paul McMasters, First Amendment ombudsman, The Freedom Forum.

Contact: Donna Fowler, 703/284-2887.