Information commissioner to investigate FoI abuse claims
The Scottish Information Commissioner, Kevin Dunion, is to investigate complaints that the media are abusing Freedom of Information legislation to find stories.
Dunion will host a round table discussion later this year with invited journalists, FoI professionals and public bodies in a bid to ascertain whether some requests from the media amount to little more than “fishing expeditions.”
Authorities report a high (but unknown) proportion of requests originating from the media but only 11% of appeals to the information commissioner’s office are currently attributed to the media.
Dunion attributes this discrepancy to the time pressured environment within which journalists work making it less likely they would appeal a refused application.