John R. Finnegan Freedom of Information Award
The John R. Finnegan Freedom of Information award is given to those individuals and groups who demonstrate, through expression and action, commitment to the idea that a popular and democratic government can never realize the aspirations of the founding fathers without the participation of an informed electorate. An informed electorate cannot exist without access to information.
John R. Finnegan Sr., for whom the award is named, is one of the state's strongest advocates for public access to government information and the public right to know. His work on the part of the public’s right to know prepares an informed electorate to actively participate in a democratic society, to judge how a democratic government is functioning, and to determine whether duly elected officials have met their responsibilities in a manner consistent with the representative nature of our republic.
Recipients of the award consistently demonstrate leadership and commitment to the power of information to effect change. Their activities will be diverse and may include: using technology and other means to facilitate access to information, advocating for legislative and other policies that maximize the public's right to know; educating the public on the importance of freedom of information; assuring that government and other institutions comply with policies that maximize transparency; operating libraries and other institutions in a manner that affords the greatest possible access to information; challenging any form of authority that would thwart the objective of assuring the existence of an informed electorate; and linking the idea of freedom of information to the Bill of Rights and especially to the First Amendment.