Fair Use and Social Media: A Primer

Presenter: Paul Hannah
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
4:30 - 6:00 pm
Women Venture Meeting Room
2324 University Ave West, St. Paul (just East of Raymond)
A COGI-tations Event


Confused about how and when Fair Use applies to entries on Facebook, Twitter and blogs? Paul Hannah, media lawyer, provides pointers on Copyright law for journalists, concerned citizens, bloggers and all concerned about Fair Use in online expressions. As a well-known Twin Cities media attorney, Mr. Hannah knows the law and can clarify it for those who may be intimidated, confused or overwhelmed by it.

This event is free and open to the public. Free parking is available.


COGI-tations are public forums sponsored by the Minnesota Coalition on Government Information.

Sunshine Week Event featuring Jane Kirtley

Jane Kirtley
Freedom of Information: Your Key to Open Government

Monday, March 15, 2010
12:00 Noon

James J. Hill Reference Library
80 West 4th Street, St. Paul

Event flyer

Sunshine Week Toolkit

Chief Justice Magnuson Keynote at 21st annual Freedom of Information Day Award Ceremony

Freedom of Information advocates hear Chief Justice Magnuson, honor local newspaper editor Anfinson and promote open access

Event flyer

Chief Justice Eric J. Magnuson will deliver the keynote speech at the 21^st annual Freedom of Information Day Award Ceremony on Tuesday, March 16, Noon-1:00 at Minneapolis Central Library Pohlad Auditorium. Chief Justice Magnuson will explore the freedom of information implications of two significant processes with which he has been closely involved – the Minnesota Senate election recount and the ongoing debate surrounding the issue of cameras in the courtroom.

A highlight of the Freedom of Information Day event is presentation of the 2010 John R. Finnegan Freedom of Information Award.  Reed Anfinson, publisher and owner of the Swift County Monitor-News will receive the award which recognizes his commitment to transparency and open government at the local and national levels.  Anfinson is on the Board of the National Newspaper Association; in 2012 he will assume the national presidency of the association. Finnegan, for whom the award was named two decades ago, will make the presentation.  The Award is a testament to Finnegan’s lifetime commitment to a free press and a transparent government.

Open government advocates celebrate Freedom of Information Day each year on March 16, the birth date of James Madison.  Often identified as the Father (or one of the fathers) of the Constitution, Madison is a hero of freedom of information proponents who are wont to quote Madison’s admonition that “a popular government, without popular information, or the means of acquiring it, is but a prologue to a farce or a tragedy; or perhaps both.” 

Sponsors of Freedom of Information Day at the national and levels include a host of professional and advocacy organizations - journalists and newspaper editors, librarians, researchers and archivists, diverse nonprofit groups committed to open and accessible  government, particularly in an era of economic, political and technological change. Freedom of Information Day is the highlight of Sunshine Week, an initiative of the American Society of Newspaper Editors.

Local sponsor of FOI is the Minnesota Coalition on Government Information.  The event is free and open to the public. 

For additional information about Freedom of Information Day, Sunshine Week, or the Minnesota Coalition on Government Information contact:

Mary Treacy, Executive Director

Minnesota Coalition on Government Information

mtreacy@onvoymail.com

612 781 4234 or 612 703 3290

Sunshine Week 2010 Webcast – Building Transparency

Friday, March 19, 2010

11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. CST



Participants in past Sunshine Week webcasts have expressed a preference for viewing/participating from their own office rather than gathering for a group view.

No registration required.

The link will be available 24 hrs. prior to the event at the SW event page.
http://www.openthegovernment.org/article/articleview/420/
Panelists include Norm Eisen, Special Counsel to the President for Ethics and Government Reform; and Miriam Nisbet, Director of the Office of Government Information.

Reed Anfinson Receives John R. Finnegan Freedom of Information Award

February 8, 2010 -- The Minnesota Coalition on Government Information (MNCOGI) announced today that Reed Anfinson, publisher of the Swift County Monitor-News, will receive the 2010 John R. Finnegan Freedom of Information Award. Anfinson will be honored at the annual Freedom of Information Day recognition event, on Tuesday, March 16, noon-1:00 at the Minneapolis Central Library, 300 Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis.

Anfinson is a long-term journalist and advocate for access to government information at the local, state and national levels. He has testified frequently before both the Minnesota Legislature and the U.S. Congress on Freedom of Information and First Amendment issues.

Since 1994 he has co-chaired the Minnesota Newspaper Association’s legislative committee and currently chairs the National Newspaper Association Government Relations Committee. In 2012 Anfinson becomes President of the National Newspaper Association.

For the past 30 years Anfinson has been associated with the Swift County Monitor-News as a reporter, managing editor, and now publisher and owner. In this role he has published frequent editorials and articles on open government, including articles on the state’s Data Practices Act, open meeting regulations and discussions of the impact of video and digital technology on public access.

The Minnesota Coalition on Government Information, a nonprofit corporation formed in 1989, is dedicated to ensuring access to government information and public records. MNCOGI provides public education programs, manages a website and blog, maintains links with other state coalitions and promotes public awareness of information policy issues. In June 2009 MNCOGI hosted the annual Summit of the National Freedom of Information Coalition in Minneapolis.

The Freedom of Information Award, established by the Coalition in 1989, is named for John R. Finnegan, Sr, retired senior vice president and assistant publisher of the St Paul Pioneer Press. Finnegan is founder and stalwart of the Minnesota Joint Media Committee which has consistently supported open records, open meetings and other First Amendment-related causes in the Legislature and other public arenas in Minnesota.

*** Podcast interview with Reed Anfinson about the importance of Freedom of Information (conducted by Renee McGivern) *** 

The Freedom of Information Day event is free and open to the public.

Additional information on the MNCOGI website at www.mncogi.org or contact mtreacy@onvoymail.com or 612-781-4234.

IPAD Open Meeting Law Workshop

The Information Policy Analysis Division will present a half-day Open Meeting Law workshop on January 27 in St. Paul. The workshop offers a practical look at how public bodies in Minnesota can meet their obligations under the Open Meeting Law (Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 13D).

What: Open Meeting Law Workshop

When: Wednesday, January 27, 2010; 8:30 a.m. – 12:30p.m.

Where: Department of Administration Building, 50 Sherburne Ave., St. Paul

Cost: $75 per person or $60 per person for groups or 4 or more

For information and registration, visit www.ipad.state.mn.us.

White House Launches Comprehensive Open Government Plan

December 8, 2009 -- The Obama administration released the Comprehensive Open Government Plan today. Administered through the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the president demanded the directive be built around three main principles - transparency, participation, and collaboration. Specific requirements and deadlines are outlined for all agencies, and the directive centers on four main components: publishing information; creating a culture of openness; improving data quality; and updating policies to allow for greater openness.

Read the Open Government Directive

Commentary:
OMB Watch
National Security Archive Unredacted Blog
Steve Aftergood’s Secrecy News Blog
"Why an Open Government Matters"
 
Video:
The announcement was streamed live with U.S. Chief Information Officer Vivek Kundra and U.S. Chief Technology Officer Aneesh Chopra, followed by a web forum where individuals could ask questions. Watch the video below, or at whitehouse.gov