Phil Eil Visits Sonic Watermelons, April 12, 2016

Sonic Watermelons

Phil Eil Visits Sonic Watermelons, April 12, 2016 **** Original Episode Title: We have freedom to access information but do we really? Phil Eil tells us a story or two about the FOIA. *** Original Episode Date: April 12, 2016 *** Name of Guest(s): Philip Eil, former/final editor of the Providence Phoenix, adjunct lecturer at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), freelance journalist *** Original Episode Summary: On today's show we speak with Phil Eil, a local journalist and the former - and final - editor of the Providence Phoenix, who has a passion for the truth. One area his passion has taken him is around the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). We have learned that this journey has had valleys and peaks. There are road blocks on the path to getting the truth and apparently our Goverment is a giant one. [Below is] an excerpt from a Vice.com article about his FOIA battle with the feds; the link to the full article will be posted below also. "If you took President Obama at his word, this was supposed to be a golden age for investigative journalism in America. On his first day in office, the Commander-in-Chief penned a memo encouraging executive agencies to adopt a "presumption in favor of disclosure" when processing Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests. The White House later rolled out the details of an "unprecedented level of openness" it was determined to bring to Washington. In 2013, Obama famously said he's running the "most transparent administration in history. It hasn't quite worked out that way." Learn more about Phil Eil's work, his experiences with using FOIA, and his thoughts on all things RI TODAY on Sonic Watermelons. http://www.vice.com/read/how-the-feds-blocked-me-from-covering-a-pill-mill-trial *** Contact Info for Guest(s): Twitter: @phileil Facebook: www.facebook.com/Phillip.edward.eil *** More Info About the Guest, Topics and/or Podcast: Phil Eil, the former/final editor of the Providence Phoenix and adjunct lecturer at the Rhode Island School of Design, is currently a self employed journalist with pieces appearing in Salon.com, Vice.com, and The Atlantic. He is also a litigant in a lawsuit against the Federal Government. He spoke in detail about FOIA - the Freedom of Information Act - and what precipitated his court cases during the show, as well as spoke to us about a recent experience he had interviewing another journalist, Democracy Now’s Amy Goodman. Learn more in this podcast episode of Sonic Watermelons, and by reading up on the following sites: https://www.aclu.org/news/aclu-sues-drug-enforcement-agency-public-records-local-journalist-requested-3-years-ago http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=27700 http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/editorials/2016/05/10/1-evidence-in-pill-mill-case-held-under-lock-and-key.html http://forward.com/culture/339517/how-a-rabbis-granddaughter-became-the-host-of-democracy-now/#ixzz47QiOSA41 *** Audio from the podcast also comes from the Reza Rites / Sonic Watermelons Archive: The Reza Wreckage 10 in 10 - episode 1 was part of a short-run multimedia podcast series produced by Sonic Watermelons’ Reza Corinne Clifton. In the attached, mini-podcast, Clifton talks to poet Kate Rushin about her artist in residency stay at the Providence-based arts organization, AS220, and about her work and perspective as a feminist woman of color and writer. To see the entire podcast, and to learn more, visit https://youtu.be/F623Yexnr8g; Follow Kate Rushin at www.katerushin.com or @ kate.rushin on Facebook. Visit VenusSings.com and www.AmbitiousBlackFeminist.com to check out Reza's work. *** Sonic Watermelons Contact Info: www.bsrlive.com venussings.wordpress.com/about-sonic-watermelons-on-bsr/ Facebook: @sonicwatermelons Twitter: @WatermelonRadio Soundcloud: @sonicwatermelons *** Sonic Staff & Volunteers (episode & podcast) Reza Clifton Deejay Kellan Jessica LaBrie Kabir Lambo Jose Ramirez