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Tracking down public records

J. Robert PortInvestigative ReporterNew York Daily News

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Your client: The reporter

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Reporters lead difficult lives

Daily deadlines Irrascible editors Hunting and traveling Forced to work by phone Demand for accuracy Incessant pressure to be

creative

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An Interview

Most stories have their beginnings with…

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By SANG-HUN CHOECHARLES J. HANLEYand MARTHA MENDOZAAssociated Press Writers

It was a story no one wanted to hear: Early in the Korean War, villagers said, American soldiers machine-gunned hundreds of helpless civilians, under a railroad bridge in the South Korean countryside.

When the families spoke out, seeking redress, they met only rejection and denial, from the U.S. military and their own government in Seoul. Now a dozen ex-GIs have spoken, too, and support their story with haunting memories from a "forgotten" war.

These American veterans of the Korean War say that in late July 1950, in the conflict's first desperate weeks, U.S. troops -- young, green and scared -- killed a large number of South Korean refugees, many of them women and children, trapped beneath a bridge at a place called No Gun Ri.

This Story Began With a Government Document

6/8/2003Special Librarians Association, New York City 6Source: National Archives, College Park, Md.

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Why Government Records?

Records don’t lie Records don’t forget Records don’t pursue an agenda Recorded information creates leads Documentary evidence bolsters a

story Defense against libel lawsuits

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The Candidate’s Words

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The Official Record

Also in Archival Records:

Names of State Draft OfficialsNames of Some Local Draft Board MembersLarge Numbers of Local Men Drafted

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The Top Official’s Quote

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Tools for Government Records

The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)

Agency reading rooms The Federal Freedom of

Information Act (FOIA) State Freedom of Information

or public records laws Federal Courts - PACER

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So Many Governments, So Little Time

The Branches of Government

Legislative(Congress, State Legislature, City Council)

Not generally covered by FOIAUseful as an ally in FOIA of the Executive

Executive(President, Governor, Mayor and Agencies)

Generally covered by FOIAMost resistant to FOIA

Judiciary(Supreme Court, Appeals Courts, County Courts)

Not covered by FOIAOpen records through constitution and common law

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So Many Jurisdictions…

Layers of Government

Townships

County Governments

City Governments

State Governments

Federal Government

Federal Court Districts: 93

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Sources

Congressional Quarterly’s Washington Information Directory

Congressional Quarterly’s Federal Regulatory Directory

The Yellow books New York City’s Green

Book

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The Internet

E-FOIA slowing taking hold Web sites growing daily Sophistication steadily increasing Many traditionally paper records

going all-electronic Hybrid vendors evolving

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PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records)

http://www.uscourts.gov

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The future: actual court records scanned or created electronically

…everywhere

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TRAC (Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse) 2 million federal

employee records Justice Dept. case

tracking data IRS enforcement

data Judge/prosecutor

report cards

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Deeds, liens, etc.

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Uniform Commercial Code filings…

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Electronic Data

Increasingly, most useful government records are in data form, not paper

Data is better than paper Learn to use a spreadsheet Better still, learn to use relational

database software

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Government Records and Clothing

NYS Dept. of Labor enforcement data

Federal Trade Commission RN data

Women’s Wear Daily U.S. Dept. of Labor

union data OSHA data

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Microsoft Access

NYS DOL, license and FTC

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$115

BATF gun tracing data available…

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The story…

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Criminal records

Licensed nurse’s aides

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The story…

6/8/2003The Associated Press

Public records are the backbone of investigations

At day’s end, Jose counts his tickets and prepares to collect his pay: $30.52.

At sunrise, Jose Madrid, 11, begins picking red chilies in New Mexico.

His employment is a violation of federal law. The product of his labor becomes “hot goods.”

They will be sold for use in Paul Newman’s salsa.

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The Tip: Go to certain farms or factories and you will find children working illegally.

We tested this with a trial run in Ohio using one reporter and We tested this with a trial run in Ohio using one reporter and photographer. We found...photographer. We found...

Another 6 year old.Another 6 year old.A 12 year old.A 12 year old.

We found others and they were all We found others and they were all paid for their labor…paid for their labor…

A 6 year A 6 year old old named named Alex.Alex.

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We decide to use a web site to manageWe wanted our web site to...We wanted our web site to...

Let reporters file interview notes and see Let reporters file interview notes and see their colleagues’ notes.their colleagues’ notes.

Share a library of legal research, news Share a library of legal research, news clips and data.clips and data.

Share computer files and electronic Share computer files and electronic records in native form.records in native form.

Let reporters see photos and artwork Let reporters see photos and artwork as they’re collected.as they’re collected.

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MS Internet Info Server, SQL Server and Lotus Notes

What we were thinking...What we were thinking...

Microsoft’s web server because it can be Microsoft’s web server because it can be set up fast.set up fast.

SQL Server to use a big machine to SQL Server to use a big machine to share large databases with many share large databases with many different programs, including the web different programs, including the web server.server.Lotus Notes because it can Lotus Notes because it can interconnect with many systems.interconnect with many systems.

They all work with Windows, allowing They all work with Windows, allowing easy interchange of graphics.easy interchange of graphics.

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Research assembled to prep reporters

Forms Forms can be can be

customizcustomizeded

Web Web material material can be can be pasted pasted

with with links links

intact.intact.

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Searchable in-house data

Reporters Reporters can can

search search DOL case DOL case records records for child for child

labor labor cases, cases,

such as such as they are.they are.

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Web can provide detailed reporting aids.

Staff can assemble Staff can assemble lists and tip sheets lists and tip sheets and post to the web and post to the web

server.server.

……even even maps to maps to obscure obscure places.places.

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Reporters search for underage workers

In In Washington’s Washington’s onion onion harvest.harvest.

……and find them.and find them.

In Southwest chili harvesting.In Southwest chili harvesting.

In In California’s California’s grape grape harvest.harvest.

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…and find them.

In Texas sorghum In Texas sorghum fields.fields.

In Florida bean In Florida bean fields.fields.

In Illinois packing In Illinois packing houses.houses.

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…and find them.

In Michigan’s In Michigan’s cucumber cucumber harvest.harvest.

In Georgia chicken In Georgia chicken processing plants.processing plants.

In the mushroom In the mushroom farms of Pennsylvania.farms of Pennsylvania.

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…and find them.

In New York’s In New York’s garment trade.garment trade.

In the apple In the apple orchards of orchards of upstate New York.upstate New York.

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Quotes, anecdotes, interviews meshed

Writers Writers everywhereverywher

e can e can choose choose

best stuff.best stuff.

Editors can Editors can categorize a categorize a

mass of mass of material.material.

Comment Comment interviews interviews

can be can be documentdocumented with a ed with a spreadshespreadshe

et.et.

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The story moves on the wire

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Finding Mimi Chapin School Class

secretaries Miss Porter’s Social Register Weddings Obituary Voter rolls

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Must-have public records data State and local payrolls Corporate officer registration records Criminal court records Civil court records Property/tax assessment records Professional licensing records Voter registration records

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Bob’s Top 10 Web Sites1. NYS Department of State http://dos.ny.state.us/2. Leadership Library http://ldi.bvdep.com/3. GuideStar http://www.guidestar.org/4. 10K Wizard http://www.tenkwizard.com/5. opensecrets.org http://www.opensecrets.org/6. nexis.com http://www.nexis.com/research/7. NYC Campaign Finance Board

http://www.cfb.nyc.ny.us/8. Government Printing Office

http://www.access.gpo.gov/9. TRAC http://trac.syr.edu/10. General Accounting Office http://www.gao.gov/