GROUPS URGE CONGRESS NOT TO WEAKEN FOIA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP88-01315R000400340002-2
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 27, 2004
• Sequence Number: 2
• Publication Date: October 1, 1983
• Content Type: NSPR

Approved For Release 2005/01/12 : CIA-RDP88-01315R00040034
AFnns J"
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EDITOR AND PUBLISHER
1 October 1983
."14.11
News. groups urge Congress not to weaken FoIA.
Four organizations of print or broad-
cast news are circulating petitions urg-
ing. Congress to reject any legislation
that would weaken the Freedom of
Information Act.
The organizations are asking each of
their chapters to post the petitions and
invite all journalists and news industry
employees to sign.
Sponsoring the campaign are the
Society of Professional Journalists,
Sigma: D4--ha Chi; The Newspaper Guild;
the Radio-Television News Directors
Association; and the American Federa-
tion of Television and Radio Artists.
The petitions read: "Whereas, the
Federal Freedom of Information Act
was enacted by Congress in 1966 in an
effort to make federal agencies more
open and accountable; and
"Whereas, the FoIA has been an
important and effective tool for jour-
nalists, scholars, public-interest
groups, and ordinary citizens to pro-
vide the public with information about
governments) violations of civil liber-
ties, bureaucratic waste and abuse, con-
sumer, fraud, and other vital issues; and
".Whereas, the Reagan
Administration, intelligence and law
enforcement agencies, and certain
industry groups have sought legislation
to greatly expand the more-than-ample
exemptions in the existing act;
t2
"Now, therefore, we, the
undersigned journalists and news
industry employees, support the efforts
of the Society of Professional Jour-
nalists, The Newspaper Guild, the
Radio-Television News Directors
Association, the American Federation
of Television and Radio Artists, and
other national media groups to pre-
serve and strengthen the Federal Free-
dom of information Act. We call upon
Congress to reject any legislation that
would weaken it."
Approved For Release 2005/01/12 : CIA-RDP88-01315R000400340002-2