Chris Powell, a journalist and retired editor for The Journal Inquirer in Manchester, has been a longstanding advocate for transparency in government. In this interview, he reflects on his journey, challenges faced by journalists today, and the evolving significance of the Freedom of Information Act in Connecticut.
Interview by Brandon Cortés, SCSU JRN 25. Answers were condensed and edited.
What first inspired you to become an advocate for the Freedom of Information Act?
Well, I suppose it was largely a matter of getting the door slammed in my face when I was asking inconvenient questions as a reporter covering government stories. I quickly realized that unless there was some statutory obligation for government to be accountable, it wasn’t going to be accountable on its own.
Can you share a specific instance where your efforts led to increased transparency in government records?
One of the first cases before the Freedom of Information was one that I brought with the Journal Inquirer. It was around 1975 or 76. It was about seeking access to teacher salaries.
I brought a complaint to the Freedom of Information Commission and the Commission ruled, by a surprisingly divided vote of 2 to 1, that teacher salaries indeed were public under Connecticut’s Freedom of Information Law. I was a little distressed that there was even one Commissioner who thought the teacher salary should be exempt from disclosure.
That was an enormously significant case because the precedent applies to the salaries of all government, state, municipal government employees in Connecticut. We are very transparent to the point that now you can go on the Internet and you can type in the name of any state employee and get his salary information. They maintain a similar site that for controller’s office for state pension payment information, and I think this is usually transparent and hugely important.
How do you think the FOI has evolved over the years and what improvements would you like to see?
The general trend has been a gradual weakening of the law as the legislature responds to special interest groups adding exemptions to the law. I wouldn’t say that these exemptions have nullified the law, but they have certainly weakened it over the decades.
How would I strengthen the law? Well, I think that’s easy. I’d get rid of most of the exemptions. I mean, there’s a few in there that I think are justified, like negotiations for government purchase of property and things like that when they’re negotiating a price. But I would remove many exemptions that serve only the special interest, not the public interest, and I would install some serious fines in the law for government agencies that violate the law. Because most government agencies in Connecticut are not very friendly to disclosure and they know from experience that they can stall disclosure for years and years and years if they want to.
What advice would you give journalists on effectively using FOI to uncover important stories?
One tactic is to build political support for your FOI request. For instance, if your request is denied, file a complaint with the commission. Then, reach out to local or state officials to gauge their opinions on the denial. Write a story about who supports openness versus who supports keeping the public in the dark. Additionally, look at the cost of obstruction. Often, taxpayers are footing the bill for government lawyers fighting against disclosure. Highlight that expense in your reporting to pressure officials. Transparency is a struggle, especially as civic engagement declines, but it’s essential for democracy.
How would you define FOI?
It’s the public’s right to know what its government is doing. Certainly government has certain very sensitive matters, particularly in regard to international relations, espionage and property purchases, which publicly can’t come out for a while, but for the most part what government does ought to be public.
It’s the public’s right to know in a democracy. If you can’t find out what your government’s doing, you don’t have a democracy.
That’s what FOI is all about.
