From 1741 to 1744, Samuel Johnson basically made up what were purportedly debates going on in the British Parliament. Because the doings of Parliament were secret, Johnson had to rely on the skimpy notes of someone who had lurked in the background of the parliament building scribbling surreptitiously. It was also illegal to print what was said in Parliament so Johnson's writings were couched in the supposed fiction of events taking place in the "Senate of Lilliput."Surely things are much better almost 400 years later, right? Maybe not.
To get an idea of the state of public information in the UK and how it compares to the United States, have a look at Eric Nalder's story of a reporter who learned the ropes on public documents and Freedom of Information in Washington state, at the University of Washington and the Spokane Spokesman-Review.
