There has been much written lately about the death of newspapers, and even the death of journalism as we’ve known it. But tucked in the depths of this interesting article by Scott Shane in the New York Times — about the work of a couple of young A.C.L.U. lawyers in their surprisingly successful use of the Freedom of Information Act —  is this hopeful comment:

The A.C.L.U.’s success has led some news organizations to take a new look at the potential of the Freedom of Information Act to expose government secrets. But the A.C.L.U. lawyers note that their effort has repeatedly fed off the work of investigative reporters who have identified cases of abuse, legal opinions and other documents that the organization then pursued in court.

From A.C.L.U. Lawyers Mine Documents for Truth