Kirtley Delivers Lectures in Dominican Republic

Prof. Jane Kirtley delivered lectures and conducted workshops on freedom of information in the Dominican Republic between July 16 and 18 under the auspices of the U.S. State Department's Franklin Center in Santo Domingo. The programs were co-sponsored by the Pontificia Universidad Catolica Madre y Maestra. She delivered a lecture on "Access to Public Information as an Investigative Reporting Tool for Fighting Corruption" in Santiago on July 16; conducted an all-day workshop for journalists on "How to Report on Government and FOIA Issues" in Santo Domingo on July 17; and delivered a lecture on "Public Information as a Tool for Promoting Transparency and Trust in Public Administration" to FOI officers and public relations managers, in coordination with the Information Office of the Presidency in Santo Domingo on July 18.

Prof. Kirtley was also interviewed about freedom of information and its importance in promoting democracy in Hoy, a daily newspaper in Santo Domingo, on July 17. (The Dominican Republic has only had a freedom of information law only since 2004.)