Reporters Committee announced new FOI Service Center director

The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press announced today that Corinna Zarek has been promoted to director of its Freedom of Information Service Center.

Zarek is a graduate of the University of Iowa, where she was editor of the Daily Iowan supervising 80 staff members and a $500,000 annual budget. Zarek also is a graduate of the University of Iowa College of Law. While in Iowa, she also worked as a correspondent for the Des Moines Register.

From 2005-2006, Zarek worked as the Jack Nelson FOI Legal Fellow at the Reporters Committee. She left the position to work as a trial lawyer at Coan & Lyons in Washington, D.C. for a year before returning as the McCormick Tribune Legal Fellow in August 2007. She also is a lecturer in media law and ethics at American University’s School of Communication.

“I am delighted that Cori has agreed to lead our FOI efforts,” said Reporters Committee Executive Director Lucy A. Dalglish. “She has demonstrated that she is a tenacious advocate for the public’s right to know.”

As FOI Service Center director Zarek will direct legislative, legal and educational FOI programs. She also will supervise a legal fellow and all Reporters Committee interns.

Zarek replaces Loren Cochran, who resigned in January 2008.

Founded in 1970, the Reporters Committee provides legal defense and advocacy services for journalists working in the United States. It is based in Arlington, Va.