One journalist made a brave attempt to secure advance viewing perks for "Game of Thrones" Season 6. Unlike past seasons, GoT showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss revealed that U.S. President Barack Obama will be the only person outside of HBO who is allowed to view the show before it premieres on April, causing the dismay of many media men who used to be entitled to the same benefit.
During HBO's Facebook Live stream of the "Game of Thrones" premiere event in Hollywood on April 10, Benioff and Weiss revealed that Obama has asked for advance copies of "Game of Thrones" Season 6, Entertainment Weekly noted.
Vanessa Golembewski, feature writer for U.S.-based news website Refinery29, filed a Freedom of Information request on April 14 asking POTUS to "share his advance screeners" with the rest of the world.
"If the president - and by extension, our government - is in possession of a file, surely that file is subject to my request to see it as a U.S. citizen," Golembewski said in her filing.
The Freedom of Information Act exempts nine documents from the law's application, such as "documents properly classified as secret in the interest of national defense or foreign policy" and "intra-agency memorandum," among others. According to The Independent, Golembewski is confident that "TV episodes were still fair game."
Complex reported that the FOIA track goes through five stages: submitted, evaluation, assignment, processing and closed. The FOI request in question is still in the first leg of the journey. Authorities will still have to evaluate her request before a decision can be rendered.
Although the request is rather far-fetched, many lauded Golembewski's attempt to test the bounds of the Freedom of Information Act and duly invoke her right under the law.
In the meantime, the sixth season of "Game of Thrones" will premiere on HBO on April 24.
