Mark Weiler, a doctoral candidate at Simon Fraser University, sent us an e-mail the other day asking why public records requests are called “requests.” Why do we refer to “requesters”? That’s a great point! After all, when we go to a library to pick up a book that we are entitled to, we wouldn’t “request” [...]
Filed under: 2. Doc state of mind, 5. Request strategies | 1 Comment »
In Oklahoma, where the legislature has been considering a really bad bill aimed at closing all identifying information of state employees, came news that the leader of the Senate said he would vote against a bill to keep public employees’ birth dates confidential if the measure returns to the Senate. The best line of the [...]
Filed under: 2. Doc state of mind | Leave a Comment »
The Investigative News Network released its first major project, on the lack of punishment by universities against rapists, based on an incredible amount of records gathering, interviews and surveys. They even explain how you can do the same reporting at your local university. The year-long project, conducted by seven different state and regional investigative reporting [...]
Filed under: 1. Records that matter, 2. Doc state of mind, 9. FOI writing & ethics | Tagged: Education, Public safety | Leave a Comment »
In which yours truly cusses in his quote. How embarrassing! Oh well, I got the point across. – Charles
Filed under: 1. Records that matter | Tagged: Politics | Leave a Comment »
Kid gets into fight in middle school right here in Columbia, Mo. Mom asks whether there is a surveillance camera. School says “yes, but you can’t watch it…” and a Sunshine scrap ensues. Why can’t she see it?
Filed under: 1. Records that matter | Tagged: Education, Local gov | Leave a Comment »
In the annals of secrecy masked as “privacy” comes this story, in which hunters in Idaho seek to keep hunting and fishing licenses under wraps. A license is a public act, people.
Filed under: 3. Access law | Tagged: Sports | Leave a Comment »
State officials around the country are trying to figure out how to handle public officials’ discussions via Twitter, Facebook, texting and other electronic devices. If officials are discussing public business then those messages are public records. Check with your government jurisdictions to find out whether they are recording Blackberry messages and other electronic communications. If [...]
Filed under: 4. Finding records, 5. Request strategies, 7. Electronic records | Tagged: Local gov | Leave a Comment »
A good story today by The Associated Press highlighted the effort underway by some states to close 911 records because of a few media outlets airing distressed callers. I am quoted as saying that it’s important to keep the records open so we can make sure our public safety agencies are working correctly. One government [...]
Filed under: 9. FOI writing & ethics | Tagged: Public safety | Leave a Comment »
This week college journalists will converge on downtown Phoenix for the Associated Collegiate Press national conference, and we hope they won’t want to miss some sessions on accessing public records (check out the incredible program): Mark Goodman, former director of the Student Press Law Center, will do a session on accessing public records, 1-3:45 p.m. [...]
Filed under: 1. Records that matter, 2. Doc state of mind, 3. Access law, 7. Electronic records, 9. FOI writing & ethics | Tagged: Education | Leave a Comment »
A requester in Maryland asked for a list of county employees with their salaries in an electronic format. Pretty simple. But the county responded saying it would charge $40 per hour for 52 hours of programming, or $2,000 (first two hours are free). That’s crazy! When this was posted on the FOI-listserv today many people [...]
Filed under: 6. Overcoming denials, 7. Electronic records | Tagged: Local gov | 1 Comment »
