The Rise of the Right to Know: Politics and the Culture of Transparency, 1945-1975

by Michael Schudson,
The Huffington Post, September 9, 2015

Almost half a century ago, Ralph Nader declared that "A well-informed citizenry is the lifeblood of democracy; and in all areas of government, information, particularly timely information, is the currency of power." These days, there is almost universal support for this view on the left, right, and center of the political spectrum.