I am available to give talks and appear on the TV, radio, and am quoted in the press. I have appeared on BBC News, Radio 5 Live, LBC, and have given talks to government groups, students, and trained journalists in Turkey.
If you would like me to speak at an event or on a certain area, please send me an email: mattburgess100@gmail.com. Below are some examples of talks and testimonials.
BBC Five Live: Drive: Speaking about Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 phones catching fire, as the result of a charging problem.
BBC Radio 2: Jeremy Vine show: I went on Jeremy Vine’s BBC Radio 2 show to discuss the FOI Act, the government’s review of it, and whether requests are a burden.
Article 19:
I travelled to Turkey with the NGO and talked to journalists in the country about the UK’s Freedom of Information Act. I offered opinions on how the Act works and how those in Turkey could learn from some of the early years of the UK’s Act and presented examples of it being effectively used by journalists.
Open Data Institute:
A talk to attendees at the ODI’s weekly lunchtime lecture. The talk focussed on the relationship between the FOI Act and also the Open Data regime. In particular I covered how the two schemes could work together, their differences, and also similarities. A video of the talk can be found here. The slides are here.
Goldsmiths, University of London:
I spoke to MA Journalism students at Goldsmiths. The talk covered the basics of FOI, how it can be used by the media and journalists, what can and can’t be accessed, and advice and tips on the most effective ways to make requests. The slides can be found here.
PDP Freedom of Information Conference:
I spoke at the UK’s largest FOI conference about the interaction of journalists and FOI professionals and how their interests, although coming from different camps, can often be aligned. The slides are here.
Peter Carey, from PDP, said:
“Matthew Burgess spoke at the 11th Annual Freedom of Information Conference in London, the UK’s leading annual FOI event. He provided the delegates with an invaluable opportunity to hear about their area of work from the other side of the fence, and his session was very well received.”
Quotes in the press
Press Gazette: Met admits not ‘vexatious’ to ask for details of how force accessed journalists’ call records: PG report on my FOI battle with the Met police – the police finally conceded that my request about RIPA use on journalists and their sources.
Daily Mirror: Public’s right to know under threat as ministers set up ‘review’ of Freedom of Information law: I am quoted by the Mirror on the government’s announcement of a review committee that is going to look at (and destroy) the FOI Act.
Press Gazette: How to make sure your FoI request hits the right target and doesn’t waste time: An extract from my book, which covers one of the most important areas of making FOI requests.
Journalism.co.uk: Two FOI tricks every UK journalist should know: An exclusive extract of my book, on the Freedom of Information Act for journalists, was published on Journalism.co.uk.
Huffington Post UK: Gove’s Plans To Curb Government Scrutiny Laws Are An Attempt To ‘Stem The Flow Of Information’, Critics Claim: I am quoted in this Huffington Post UK article which covers the UK government’s plans to detrimentally change the FOI Act.
Daily Mirror: Downing Street accused of cover-up tactics as it’s revealed No10 e-mails self-destruct after 3 months: – I am quoted in this Mirror article about the government’s automatically deleting email processes, which may have been introduced to help them avoid FOI.
Press Gazette: Met bars Guido Fawkes and others from asking RIPA questions amid Press Gazette conspiracy theory: I was included among a number of journalists that the Metropolitan Police branded as being vexatious when questions were asked about the police force’s use of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000.
Journalism.co.uk: FOI Directory updated with appeal templates and more: My website (FOI Directory) is covered by the UK’s leading journalism website. The article features information on updates I made to the website, which include new templates to help people who have had requests rejected and much more.
Journalism.co.uk: 10 years of FOI: Resources and tips for journalists: My FOI Directory website is listed as a top tool for journalists wanting to make FOI requests in the UK.
Journalism.co.uk: #Tip: Advice for making FOI requests in the UK and US: FOI Directory is mentioned as a useful resource for journalists who want to ask officials for information.