Fifth Annual National Event Shines a Light on Open Government

Press Release
Contact: Amy Bennett or Patrice McDermott, 202-332-6736

WASHINGTON – On Friday, March 19th from 12:00 – 2:00 eastern, OpenTheGovernment.org will host and webcast from the Center for American Progress (1333 H Street, NW, 10th FL) featuring a discussion on open government in theory and in practice. Join Patrice McDermott, Director of OpenTheGovernment.org and leading open government experts from inside and outside government to examine the Obama Administration’s efforts to make the federal government more transparent, and discuss what remains to be done.

On his first full day in office, President Obama committed his Administration "to creating an unprecedented level of openness in Government." To help meet that goal, the Administration has issued an Open Government Directive and a new Memorandum on Freedom of Information Act and Attorney General Guidelines. The Administration has also launched an expansive effort to open up data to developers, advocates, and the public via Data.gov. During the webcast, the public will be able to interact with individuals intimately involved in implementing these policies and advocates who use government information to advance accountability.

Program:

The Open Government Directive – Creating Lasting Government Openness?

• Norm Eisen, Special Counsel to the President for Ethics and Government Reform; Jim Harper, Director of Information Policy Studies, Cato Institute; John Wonderlich, Policy Director, Sunlight Foundation; and Patrice McDermott, Director, OpenTheGovernment.org (moderator)
• FOIA – New Changes to the Oldest Public Access Law Miriam Nisbet, Director, Office of Government Information Services (OGIS); Melanie Pustay, Director, Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of Information Policy (OIP) (invited); Anne Weismann, Chief Counsel, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW); Kevin Goldberg, American Society of News Editors (ASNE) counsel ; and Patrice McDermott, Director, OpenTheGovernment.org (moderator)
• Data.gov – What can do it for me? Laura Beavers, National KIDS COUNT Coordinator, Annie E. Casey Foundation; Eric Gundersen, President and co-founder, Development Seed; and Sean Moulton, Director of Federal Information Policy, OMB Watch (moderator)

The webcast is shown at local events across the county. Visit www.OpenTheGovernment.org for a list of venues and for a link to view the webcast.

The event is hosted by the American Association of Law Libraries, American Library Association, Association of Research Libraries, Center for American Progress, League of Women Voters, National Freedom of Information Coalition, OpenTheGovernment.org, Special Libraries Association, Sunshine Week, and the Sunlight Foundation.