Each year CFOG sponsors an essay contest each year to encourage thought and debate among students on public and freedom of information issues and to increase student knowledge of the value of open government in a democratic society. First prize receives $1,000, second place gets $500 and third place receives $300. Honorable mentions are awarded […]

In the wake of the Sandy Hook tragedy, it’s understandable that government officials may look for quick fixes, especially those that might relieve some of the victims’ anguish. But emotion-charged quick fixes and knee-jerk responses often bring devastating unintended consequences. The 29th Amendment to the Connecticut…Continue Reading

By JAMES H. SMITH | OP-ED The Hartford Courant5:45 p.m. EDT, September 27, 2013 Since 1975 when Connecticut adopted its Freedom of Information law and was hailed as the leader in the nation for open government, state and local officials have been coming up with ways to water it down and, frankly, just going about […]

(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Dannel P. Malloy today announced that he has selected Owen P. Eagan of West Hartford to serve as chairman of the Freedom of Information Commission (FOIC), the state body responsible for administering and enforcing the provisions of the Connecticut Freedom of Information Act, which ensures citizen access to the records and […]

Community Newspapers in Connecticut By Forrest C. Palmer* Former Publisher of the Danbury News-Times and A Founding Member of the CFOG Board of Directors (August 15, 2013)   I have recently spent time looking back at my 40 years in the newspaper business and the changes that have taken place since then.  It is sometimes […]