Media Institute of the Caribbean launches FOI assist desk and advocacy software package

The Jamaica-based Media Institute of the Caribbean (MIC) Monday launched the Freedom of Data Assist Desk and Advocacy software package, which it stated represents a milestone in Freedom of Data (FOI) and Entry to Data within the Pan-Caribbean area.

“The results of the need for journalists within the area to have higher assist and recommendation in an period the place investigative journalism underpins our democracy and the place the propagation of disinformation plagues our societies,” stated MIC President, Kiran Maharaj.

The FOI venture is funded by UK AID and MIC stated the initiative was launched nearly throughout the second seminar of the four-part workshop sequence on FOI and ATI.

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It stated the assistance desk is a cloud-based, safe platform for journalists, civil society organizations and personal people to submit their FOI/ATI requests to MIC.

“These requests could be reviewed by MIC’s assist employees who will present steerage to and advise candidates on easy methods to handle denials, implement observe up actions and some other plan of action,” MIC stated, including that it ensures strict confidentiality “as we commit to making sure the protection of people contact info and associated correspondence”.

The assistance desk is one facet of MIC’s FOI venture which seeks to observe and doc press freedom violations within the English-speaking Pan-Caribbean area.

It’s supposed to supply advisory authorized opinions to journalists when this freedom is being violated or is at risk; be a powerful voice of advocacy for the safety of freedom of the press by offering suggestions for coverage framework and laws for Freedom of Data and Entry To Data; and supply a coordinating mechanism to assist implement the correct to freedom of the press by working with civil society and key stakeholders to develop suggestions and supply public info.

CMC/