A journalism student is carrying out research into the impact of the Freedom of Information Act on journalism nearly 20 years after it was passed.

University of Derby student Alex Chamberlain, left, wants to hear from other journalists about how effective it has been in helping them hold authority to account.

He has devised a survey with a series of questions for journalists ranging from how frequently they use the Act to how useful it is in helping them find stories.

The survey can be found here.

Said Alex:”I’m running this survey as part of my research for my final year dissertation; which is on the impact that the Freedom of Information Act has had on the journalism industry and journalists’ ability to hold authority to account.

“Through this survey I hope to be able to assess how useful professional journalists find the Freedom of Information Act, the positive and negative aspects of their experiences with it and how it could be improved or streamlined to make it a more effective tool for journalists.

“This information will allow me to give a comprehensive assessment on the Freedom of information Act in relation to its impact on the journalism industry since its introduction into UK law in 2000.”

The survey also asks journalists how they would change the FoI Act if they could.