The IRE Resource Center is a major research library containing more than 23,250 investigative stories — both print and broadcast. Add to that more than 3,000 tipsheets from our national conferences on how to cover specific beats or do specific stories and you have a resource that no reporter or editor should be without. These stories and tipsheets are searchable online or by contacting the Resource Center directly (573-882-3364 or rescntr@ire.org) where a researcher can help you pinpoint what you need. Browse or search the tipsheet section of our library below. Logged-in members can view the tipsheets free online:
Search results for "Public Records Act" ...
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Public Records Act
Tipsheet on profiling the Public Records Act and ways in which journalists can garner information.
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Accountability Reporting in Higher Education
Lombardi's tipsheet addresses covering campus crime. She talks about finding sources, a difficult process through the student judicial process. She suggests sources for campus crime data; public records laws by state; and points to a toolkit developed by the Center for Public Integrity for covering campus crime
Tags: higher education; campus security; rape; Victim Rights Law Center; victim advocates; Clery Act; Department of Education; assault
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Hiding in Plain Sight: The Power of Public Records
Mulvihill provides examples of stories done with public records, and outlines your right to access. She discusses how denials of public records requests can become part of the story.
Tags: public records; FOIA; Freedom of Information Act; transparency; data; state audits; federal audits
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After Disaster Strikes: Be A Recovery Watchdog
Cervantes details how the Union-Tribune covered the wildfires that ravaged San Diego in October 2007. The city and county governments offered "free" demolition and debris removal for destroyed properties. "We got a tip contractors were charging outrageous rates, so we decided to investigate and analyze the public records and data to see what was being done with taxpayer money."
Tags: disaster; wildfire; Union-Tribune; FEMA; California Public Records Act; FOIA; demolition permit applications; RFP; requests for proposals; Governor's Office of Emergency Services; San Diego; GIS mapping; mapping
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Public Information 101: How to obtain public records to hold government accountable
A short tipsheet on the Freedom of Information Act as it applies to federal agencies. Hall also includes details about the Illinois Freedom of Information Act and 10 survival tips for journalists.
Tags: FOIA; Illinois; watchdog; government; state government; federal government; agencies
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Access Arizona: Training and tips for acquiring public records and covering meetings in Arizona
This handout begins with a general overview of story ideas derived from FOI laws and guidance on creating a document driven newsroom. The second part of the handout details FOI laws specific to the state of Arizona.
Tags: Arizona; FOIA; Freedom of Information Act; open records; sunshine laws; story ideas; documents; open meetings; FOI request
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Chapter 44-14 WAC Public Records Act - Model Rules
This is a guide from the office of the Attorney General of Washington about public records. It covers each part of the law, and how public officials are supposed to respond to requests.
Tags: public records; open records; freedom of information; state government
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You have the right to remain silent: FOIA in the Bush Administration
This powerpoint presentation discusses how policy regarding the Freedom of Information Act has changed in recent years. Cochran uses graphs and charts to illustrate trends in the amount of data requests filed and number actually filled by the government. He also discusses the appeals process, and speculates about how the issue may change in the future.
Tags: FOIA; public records; federal government; Department of Defense; Bush; Rumsfeld; privacy; data negotiation
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Using the Illinois Freedom of Information Act
A successful FOIA request takes knowledge, planning, persistence and toughness. Loury offers tips about preparing the request, submitting the request, and negotiating with the agency over information. He also includes several examples of FOIA requests that he has submitted.
Tags: Freedom of Information; Sunshine Law; state government; public records; open records
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FOIA Tip Sheet
Scott Reeder, a 2005 IRE Award Winner, provides a list of tips for reporters who are working on projects in which FOI requests are necessary. He gives advice on how to know what you're asking for, how to deal with uncooperative officials and more. Reeder also includes his major investigation of teacher tenure in Illinois, in which he filed 1,500 FOI requests with almost 900 governmental entities and gained 100% compliance.
Tags: freedom of information; Freedom of Information Act (FOIA); public records; requesting documents; investigative methods; gaining access to public information