A-State Students Supporting Attorney General and Press Association’s Freedom of Information Act Road Show
JONESBORO – Student volunteers from the College of Media and Communication and the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Arkansas State University are assisting with preparations this week for the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Road Show at A-State.
The FOIA Road Show, which is conducted by the Office of Arkansas Attorney General Dustin McDaniel and the Arkansas Press Association, is the first of several they will conduct throughout the state.
The presentation will begin at 9 a.m. in the auditorium of the Convocation Center, 217 Olympic Dr.
In addition to attending the seminar to supplement their studies in communication and political science, the A-State students will assist with setup and registration for area news media personnel and other interested citizens.
Bonnie Thrasher, an instructor in journalism and a member of the state FOI Coalition, also is serving as a panelist for one of the sessions.
Here is the complete announcement about the FOIA Road Show from the Attorney General’s Office:
FOIA Road Shows
Arkansas has one of the strongest open meetings and open records laws in the country, yet Arkansans may not know all the mechanics or the applications of the state’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
That’s why the Attorney General’s Office and the Arkansas Press Association present FOIA “Road Shows” in locations across the state each year.
The workshops are designed to provide assistance to public officials who handle FOIA matters, as well as to any Arkansan who wishes to learn more about the law. Participants hear presentations from FOIA experts from the Attorney General’s Office about the law’s applicability and its exemptions. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions about specific parts of the law. A panel of journalists and attorneys familiar with FOIA will discuss practical experiences with the law.
Every FOIA Road Show is free and open to the public, but registration is required. To register for any FOIA Road Show, email info@arkansaspress.org or call (501) 374-1500.
Attorneys attending the seminars are eligible for two hours of Continuing Legal Education credit.
The 2013 Road Show stops are in Jonesboro, Fort Smith, Fayetteville, Little Rock and Texarkana.
The state’s Freedom of Information Act was enacted in 1967.
2013 FOIA Road Shows
Thursday Sept. 5, Jonesboro
Arkansas State University Convocation Center Auditorium, 9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Thursday, Sept. 26, Fort Smith
University of Arkansas-Fort Smith Latture Conference Center, 1 p.m.- 4:30 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 27, Bentonville
NorthWest Arkansas Community College Shewmaker Center, 9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 18, Little Rock
University of Arkansas at Little Rock Bowen School of Law, 9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Thursday, Nov. 7, Texarkana
Southwest Arkansas Electric Cooperative, 1 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
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