News

“State of the First Amendment” survey finds 1/3 of Americans think the First Amendment goes too far

One-third of Americans think the First Amendment “goes too far in the rights it guarantees,” the First Amendment Center reported today.Results of a Newseum Institute survey sponsored by the FAC revealed that while 34 percent of Americans think the First Amendment guarantees too many rights, many of those surveyed didn’t have a good grasp on the rights it includes.

Penn State’s silence on Clery report shows need for public records reform

Last week, the Department of Education issued its preliminary report, part of its investigation into whether Pennsylvania State University violated the Clery Act in its handling of allegations of sexual abuse by former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky. It will likely be years, though, before the public learns what the department uncovered in its far-reaching review of campus safety practices at the school since 1998 — one of the largest and most high-profile investigations ever.The reason for the secrecy is two-fold. A federal law requires the Department of Education to maintain the confidentiality of any program reviews until the final program report is issued.

TRANSPARENCY TUESDAY: Wave of recent court rulings eases computer-assisted reporters’ access to government databases

Remember that iconic scene in "All the President's Men" where hours tick by at the Library of Congress as reporters Woodward and Bernstein flip through mounting piles of index cards, each one memorializing a book requested by the White House?Chances are if Post reporters need that same information today, it's kept in an Excel spreadsheet that can be sorted, searched and alphabetized in a matter of seconds.Electronic databases are making it possible for journalists to analyze and present information that previously would have overwhelmed the limits of human patience.