Freedom of Information Day at the New York Public Library: March 16, 2011 at 10:30 a.m.

Who: David Barstow, of The New York Times


What: Freedom of Information Day


Where: Science, Industry and Business Library; Conf. Room 014/015


When: March 16; 10:30-12:00

Freedom of Information Day will be observed at the Science, Industry and
Business Library (SIBL) of The New York Public Library (188 Madison Ave. @
34th Street) on Wednesday, March 16, with a presentation and discussion
from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. in Conference Room 014/015 on the lower level
of the library. This year’s guest speaker is David Barstow, Pulitzer
Prize-winning investigative reporter for The New York Times. He will
discuss freedom of information and the freedom of the press, particularly
how accessing government information using the Freedom of Information Act
affects the work of journalists. The title of his presentation is: “
Freedom of Information: The Act (FOIA), the Press and the Future.”


Established by a Congressional Joint Resolution in 1989, Freedom of
Information Day is held on or near March 16, the birthday of James Madison,
fourth President of the United States and primary architect of the Bill of
Rights. The observance underscores the importance of freedom of the press,
speech, information, and the public’s right to know.


David Barstow has been an investigative reporter for The New York Times
since 2002. Mr. Barstow joined The New York Times in 1999, as a reporter
for the Metro desk.


In 2002 and 2003, Mr. Barstow reported extensively on workplace safety in
America, leading a team of journalists that produced two series for The
Times and an hour-long documentary for the PBS program "Frontline." The two
series, "Dangerous Business" and "When Workers Die,'' won the Pulitzer
Prize for public service in 2004. The two series and the documentary were
also recognized with the duPont Silver Baton, an award long regarded as the
Pulitzer Prize of television reporting.


In 2009, he won the Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Reporting for "Message
Machine," two articles that exposed a covert Pentagon campaign to use
retired military officers, working as analysts for television and radio
networks, to reiterate administration "talking points" about the war on
terror.


His most recent article, “Deepwater Horizon’s Final Hours,” appeared on
December 26, 2010.


Before joining the paper, Mr. Barstow worked for The St. Petersburg Times
in Florida beginning in 1990, reporting on a wide range of issues. While
there, he was a finalist for three Pulitzer Prizes: in 1997, he was the
lead writer for coverage of race riots and was a finalist for spot news
reporting; in 1998, he helped lead coverage of financial wrongdoing at the
National Baptist Convention and was a finalist for investigative reporting;
and, that same year, he wrote a series of stories about tobacco litigation
and was a finalist for explanatory journalism. Before joining The St.
Petersburg Times, Mr. Barstow was a reporter for The Rochester Times-Union
in upstate New York.


This event is free and open to the public. No reservations are required.

Erminio D'Onofrio
Head of Information Services
The New York Public Library
Science, Industry and Business Library
188 Madison Ave.
New York, NY 10016
Tel.: 212-592-7037
Fax: 212-592-7061
edonofrio@nypl.org