The New Media Journal | Federal Workshop on Openness Closed to the Public

The New Media Journal | Federal Workshop on Openness Closed to the Public: "The Obama administration is conducting a workshop on government openness for federal employees behind closed doors Monday, a private training session for freedom-of-information officials to learn about a new US office that settle disputes between the bureaucracy and the public.

The decision to preclude the public and the media from attending Monday's openness workshop left advocates scratching their heads, given President Barack Obama's campaign promise to make his administration the most transparent ever.

'If they're getting marching orders, why shouldn't the public be there?' said Jeff Stachewicz, founder of Washington-based FOIA Group Inc., which files hundreds of requests every month across the government on behalf of companies, law firms and news organizations.

The workshop was organized by the Justice Department's Office of Information Policy for agency public liaisons, who serve as ombudsmen and who 'play a vital role in the administration of the FOIA at each agency,' the government said. It was to set procedures for them to work with the new US Office of Government Information Services, set up to resolve disputes over information requests between citizens and the government."