Publicly avaiailable information isn't always old hat

A fuss in the UK about fast tracking immigration processing, apparently based on documents released after a Freedom of Information battle and posted in the disclosure log on an agency website seven months ago, but just discovered by the mainstream media and politicians, has given rise, somewhat unfairly to claims of "cover up." However Martin Rosenbaum on Open Secrets commented:

"So what does this tell us? To start with, perhaps opposition politicians and journalists (yes, me included) should read the FOI disclosure logs of government departments more carefully. But perhaps it also tells us something about the relationship between the web and the media. Documents are available on the internet for anyone interested to read for several months - yet it's only when the mainstream media focus on them that other journalists and politicians get interested."

The mindset that information in the public domain can't be of interest or importance is widespread here as well. With Queensland in the vanguard regarding more proactive publication of information since 1 July, I wonder whether journalists, politicians and interest groups there regularly check the disclosure logs of government agencies ( involves going through each agency Publication Scheme to find the Log - and they were admittedly a bit thin last time I looked) or the regular public release of information about Cabinet decisions?