FEATURED: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, center, uses the the Interior Stairway at the Texas Capitol during a visit on Thursday, July 15, 2021, during the Special Session of the Texas Legislature that was called a week earlier by Gov. Greg Abbott.
Photograph Courtesy OFFICE OF THE TEXAS ATTORNEY GENERAL
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“Public Information Act Handbook 2022”, authorized by Attorney General Ken Paxton, now available online, reports attorney Omar Ochoa
By DAVID A. DÍAZ
[email protected]
A 329-page document that explains what information that is held by local, county, regional and state governments in Texas is now available online at no cost by the Office of the Attorney General, reports attorney Omar Ochoa.
The “Public Information Act Handbook 2022”, authorized for publication by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, includes background on the most recent public information laws approved in 2021 by the 87th Texas Legislature.
The definition of “public information” provided by Subsection (a) applies to and includes any communication created, transmitted, received, or maintained on any device if the communication is in connection with the transaction of official business.
https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/docs/GV/htm/GV.552.htm
“Whether one is an attorney, mainstream or social media journalist, educator, business owner – any person who wants to know what their governments are doing in their name – this is a very important and easy-to-understand guide,” said Ochoa, who is a strong advocate for government transparency.
According to Ballotpedia, which is a nonprofit and nonpartisan online political encyclopedia that covers federal, state, and local politics, elections, and public policy in the United States:
• Openness, accountability, and honesty define government transparency. In a free society, transparency is government’s obligation to share information with citizens. It is at the heart of how citizens hold their public officials accountable.
• Governments exist to serve the people. Information on how officials conduct the public business and spend taxpayers’ money must be readily available and easily understood. This transparency allows good and just governance.
• Government transparency is traditionally broken into three different types: proactive disclosure, requesting public records, andcampaign finance disclosure.
“The ‘Public Information Act Handbook 2022’ also informs readers, step-by-step, on how to request information from any public official, state agency, board or commission,” Ochoa added.
However, the Texas Public Information Act does not apply to the federal government or to any of its departments or agencies. If a person is seeking information from the federal government, the appropriate law is the federal Freedom of Information Act (“FOIA”). FOIA’s rules and procedures are different from those of the Public Information Act.
The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) provides public access to all federal agency records except for those records (or portions of those records) that are protected from disclosure by any of nine exemptions or three exclusions (reasons for which an agency may withhold records from a requester).
https://www.hhs.gov/foia/faqs/what-information-is-available-under-the-foia/index.html
“Texans have the right to see how their government is spending their tax dollars and exercising the powers they have granted it. That knowledge is essential to preserving the rule of law, protecting the democratic process, and defending the liberty we all cherish,” Paxton states in the introduction to the handbook. The Public Information Act is a critical protection for that right, and I am proud to offer this guide in service of that goal.”
Any person may download the handbook at:
http://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/publicinfo_hb.pdf
“Texans have the right to see how their government is spending their tax dollars and exercising the powers they have granted it,” Paxton added. “That knowledge is essential to preserving the rule of law, protecting the democratic process, and defending the liberty we all cherish.”
The following background material in the handbook offers additional information for all readers:
A PREFACE TO THE PUBLIC INFORMATION HANDBOOK
The Texas Public Information Act (the “Public Information Act” or the “Act”) gives the public the right to request access to government information. Below is a description of the basic procedures, rights and responsibilities under the Act.
Making a Request.
The Act is triggered when a person submits a written request to a governmental body. The request must ask for records or information already in existence. The Act does not require a governmental body to create new information, to do legal research, or to answer questions. In preparing a request, a person may want to ask the governmental body what information is available.
Charges to the Requestor.
A person may ask to view the information, get copies of the information, or both. If a request is for copies of information, the governmental body may charge for the copies. If a request is only for an opportunity to inspect information, then usually the governmental body may not impose a charge on the requestor.
However, under certain limited circumstances a governmental body may impose a charge for access to information. All charges imposed by a governmental body for copies or for access to information must comply with the rules prescribed by the Office of the Attorney General (“OAG”), unless another statute authorizes a governmental body to set its own charges.
Exceptions to the Act.
Although the Act makes most government information available to the public, some exceptions exist. If an exception might apply and the governmental body wishes to withhold the information, the governmental body generally must, within ten business days of receiving the open records request, refer the matter to the OAG for a ruling on whether an exception applies.
If the OAG rules that an exception applies, the governmental body will not release the information. If a governmental body improperly fails to release information, the Act authorizes the requestor or the OAG to file a civil lawsuit to compel the governmental body to release the information.
Questions or Complaints.
To reach the OAG’s Open Government Hotline, call toll-free (877) 673-6839 (877-OPEN TEX).
Hotline staff can answer questions about the proper procedures for using and complying with the Act and can assist both governmental bodies and people requesting information from a governmental body.
Hotline staff also review written complaints about alleged violations of the Act. If a complaint relates to charges, contact the OAG’s Cost Hotline toll-free at (888) 672-6787 (888-ORCOSTS) or forward a written complaint.
Certain violations of the Act may involve possible criminal penalties. Those violations must be reported to the appropriate county attorney or criminal district attorney.
TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF BROADCASTERS LAUNCHES STATEWIDE BROADCAST NEWS AWARDS PROGRAM TO RECOGNIZE THE REPORTING OF LOCAL JOURNALISTS
The Texas Association of Broadcasters has launched a statewide broadcast news awards program to recognize the reporting of local journalists working at radio and television stations serving Texas communities.
The inaugural Texas Broadcast News Awards will be presented in Austin on Saturday, April 9, 2022, based on entries for work done in 2021.
The deadline to submit or recommend journalists for their work is Thursday, February 10, 2022. The call for candidates began on Monday, January 3, 2022.
The Texas Association of Broadcasters, formed in 1953 and which made Austin its permanent home in 1999, is a trade association representing the interests of Texas’ 1,200+ free, over-the-air radio and television stations.
The new awards take the place of the Texas Associated Press Broadcast Awards which have been discontinued. The Texas Association of Broadcasters salutes the Associated Press for their longstanding commitment to advancing quality broadcast journalism.
Plans for the new awards program were first announced at the Annual Business Meeting during the Texas Association of Broadcasters Show held Tuesday and Wednesday, August 3 and August 4, 2021 in Austin.
The Texas Broadcast News Awards program reflects the insights and experiences of nearly a dozen Texas news directors, journalists, and contest administrators, taking the best elements of the former Associated Press program and refining them further.
English- and Spanish-language stations are invited to submit entries for evaluation by bilingual judges in 19 categories.
Awards are grouped by market size, with one group representing the state’s four largest media markets and another group representing all other markets.
The Texas Association of Broadcasters is recruiting practicing and retired bilingual judges from throughout the country to assess Spanish and English entries alike.
Individuals interested in judging entries should contactBeth Bobbitt, Vice President, Member Services, Texas Association of Broadcasters.
View event, contest details & deadlines
“We’re very excited to take up the baton from the Associated Press and continue recognizing the outstanding journalism that Texas broadcasters are providing their local communities,” said Mark Masepohl with Univision Media Dallas-Fort Worth.
He serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Texas Association of Broadcasters.
“Local broadcast journalists in Texas are doing amazing work on every front and on every platform, and the Texas Association of Broadcasters wants to ensure their dedication, passion and creativity are properly recognized,” Masepohl said. “This will be a new, annual event that will bring Texas broadcast journalists together for a well-deserved celebration of their important and often life-saving reporting.”
For more information, contact the Texas Association of Broadcaster’s Oscar Rodriguezor call (512) 322-9944.
The Texas Association of Broadcasters strives to promote and protect a favorable economic and regulatory climate for broadcasting and educate members and the public at large about the opportunities available and advances possible through the efforts of free, over-the-air broadcast operations.
Memberships are open to:
• Free, over-the-air radio and television stations (commercial & non-commercial operations);
• Companies doing business with the broadcast industry;
• Current students or educators; and
• Individuals who are retired from the broadcast industry.
RESHAPING MEDIA – THE LATINO MEDIA ARTS AND STUDIES PROGRAM AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN PREPARES STUDENTS TO MAKE AN IMPACT ON U.S. MEDIA CULTURE
Over the past five years, theLatino Media Arts and Studies (L-MAS) program at The University of Texas at Austin has grown from a group of courses and a minor into a hub for Latino studies scholarship, community and creativity.
Founded by professors Charles Ramírez Berg, Mary Beltrán andMaggie Rivas-Rodriguez, the program sits in theMoody College of Communication. Its goal is to support the growth of Latino media studies and Latino topics and professionals in the fields of film, television, journalism and advertising.
“In these industries, Latinos/as have historically been underrepresented and misrepresented both on screen and behind the scenes,” says Mirasol Enríquez, Director of the L-MAS program. “So there is a real opportunity for our graduates to go out and make change in the world.”
The program provides the opportunity for UT undergraduate and graduate students to hear from acclaimed speakers and participate in research opportunities and events. The minor is open to UT undergraduates, and courses include the history of Mexican cinema, reporting on Latin America and international advertising.
A special part of the L-MAS program is the sense of community that it brings to many students, Enríquez says. “We are here to support students, provide them with resources and to help them find other people who care about the things that they do.”
One way the program supports students is through the annual L-MAS Student Awards, where students are encouraged to submit their original short films or papers centered on Latino themes for a chance to win cash prizes.
“We want students to share stories about our diverse communities, reinforcing that there isn’t just one Latino/a experience, but there are many,” Enríquez says.
Alexander Rosales, a radio-television-film graduate student, was this year’s first-place winner in the Graduate Film Award category.
His entry, “Tejano Night,” is a short film about a Mexican American young man who deals with feeling out of place while visiting a bar in South Texas one night.
“It’s a story about accepting who you are and trying your best not to shame yourself for what you want,” he says.
On the importance of sharing Latino/a stories, Rosales says: “We make up about 18% of the U.S. population, but that number isn’t reflected in the amount of Latino/a folks that are working in the radio, television, film and media industries. All we can do is continue to tell stories like ‘Tejano Night’ to show that we are plenty capable of commanding a large audience’s attention. Our stories are valuable, and they should be treated as such.”
Looking to the future, Enríquez says the program plans to connect more students to relevant internships where they can continue to develop skills that will help them find careers in television, film, journalism and advertising.
She is proud that the Moody College of Communication houses high-ranking advertising and journalism programs and that the Radio-Television-Film Department has graduated more Latino filmmakers than any other film school in the country.
She says the outstanding students UT attracts motivates her team to continue to grow the L-MAS program to make an impact on U.S. media culture.
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For more on this and other Texas legislative news stories that affect the Rio Grande Valley metropolitan region, please log on to Titans of the Texas Legislature (TitansoftheTexasLegislature.com).
