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Citizen or subject? Freedom of information and the informed citizen in a democracy

Brooke, H. (2016). Citizen or subject? Freedom of information and the informed citizen in a democracy. (Unpublished Doctoral thesis, City, University of London)

Abstract

Information is the essence of democracy and the lynchpin of power-ownership. Possession and control of information allows us to demarcate who controls or influences the political system. Freedom of Information (FOI), rooted in Enlightenment values, contains within it a key principle of democracy that there must be access to information (and knowledge) for all equally. My approach in my 25-year journalistic career has been to use FOI as a means of testing the promise and practice of democracy. It serves here as a ‘canary in the coalmine’ to measure how well citizens can access the political system.

Publication Type: Thesis (Doctoral)
Subjects: J Political Science > JN Political institutions (Europe) > JN101 Great Britain
Departments: Doctoral Theses
School of Communication & Creativity > Journalism
Doctoral Theses > School of Arts and Social Sciences Doctoral Theses
School of Communication & Creativity > School of Communication & Creativity Doctoral Theses
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