Online only

Workshops: information and data law

Matt Salusbury

Matt Salusbury on Zoom, earlier

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AS PART of the London Freelance Branch training programme, Matt Salusbury presents online Workshops on information and data law. Branch members will receive invitationns shortly before each.

They cover the Freedom of Information Act, on Friday 23 May 2025 at 9:30am; and the General Data Protection Regulation on Friday 30 May 2025 at 9:30am.

Matt will guide participants through practical scenarios, explain relevant case law, and equip freelancers with the confidence to use FOI and GDPR frameworks effectively.

Freedom of Information Act

Workshop Friday 23 May 2025 at 9:30am for three hours. Topics to be covered:

  • The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA): what bodies are covered by it.
  • Brief history.
  • Statutory duties of “public bodies” subject to FOIA to record information and how this can help you make a FOIA request.
  • Who to make a request to? “Public bodies”: which public body has information on what.
  • What's already been published? Schedules of disclosures.
  • Exemptions (what’s not covered by FOIA, which bodies are exempt). Redacting.
  • Working with Freedom of Information officers at “public bodies”.
  • How to make a Freedom of Information Act request.
  • Keeping an eye on deadlines for replying.
  • What to do if the “public body” doesn’t respond to your FOIA request within the deadline.
  • How to work with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO); getting their help with enforcing a response to your request.
  • Escalating FOIA requests – the First Tier Information – Information Rights, Tribunal, the Upper Tribunal, the Campaign for Freedom of Information and other useful pressure groups.
  • Ideas for stories or features based on FOIA requests – some examples.
  • The Environmental Information Regulations.

Data protection

GDPR (the General Data Protection Regulation); Subject Access Requests: workshop Friday 30 May 2025 at 9:30am for three hours. Topics to be covered:

  • The requirements placed on a freelance journalist under the GDPR and Data Protection Act.
  • Record-keeping, what you need to know.
  • The eight common-sense principles.
  • The journalism exemption “with a view to publication”.
  • GDPR and keeping a mailing list for your email newsletter or mailing list – privacy statements on your website.
  • What to do if someone makes a Subject Access Request for information that you are gathering on them for a story.
  • Using Subject Access Requests to generate stories.
  • How you can use Data Protection legislation to get information held by public bodies about you, how you can use this to generate stories.
  • Making a Subject Access Request
  • Which organisations can you make a SAR to? Exemptions?
  • What to do if they don’t respond.
  • Working with the Information Commissioner’s Office.
  • Escalating Subject Access Requests - First Tier Tribunal - Information Rights, Upper Tribunal, pressure groups, resources.
  • How you can use Data Protection legislation to make Subject Access Requests on behalf of your sources (with their permission).

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Matt Salusbury is a freelance journalist, English language teacher, and author with a diverse background in media, education, and historical writing. With over 15 years of experience in English for Academic Purposes (EAP) and English as a Second or Other Language (ESOL), he currently works as an academic mentor and EAP lecturer in higher education. He combines his passion for language and communication with a strong foundation in journalism, having served as both a freelance writer and editor, including roles as editor of a business-to-business publication and co-editor of the Freelance.

A former Chair of LFB and a past member of the NUJ’s National Executive Council, Salusbury has long been active in championing media professionals. He holds a Postgraduate Certificate in Periodical Journalism from the University of the Arts London.

In addition to his journalism and teaching career, he is the author of Mystery Animals of Suffolk and is currently writing Armies of the Belgian Revolution: The Dutch-Belgian War, 1830–1839, to be published by Caliver Books. Salusbury also serves as Chair of Dunwich Museum, a small accredited museum and registered charity on the Suffolk coast.