Making use of the U.S.Making use of the U.S.Freedom of Information Act Freedom of Information Act

The Approach The Approach

Planning, requesting and negotiating Planning, requesting and negotiating Overcoming common denialsOvercoming common denials Tracking your newsrooms FOI requests Tracking your newsrooms FOI requests

Documents and Databases Documents and Databases

Health Health EnvironmentEnvironment WeaponsWeapons ReportsReports InvestigationsInvestigations E-mailE-mail ContractsContracts

FOIA limitationsFOIA limitations

Security and privacy exemptionsSecurity and privacy exemptions Does not apply to CongressDoes not apply to Congress Does not apply to courtsDoes not apply to courts

Web sites and helpWeb sites and help

Reporter’s Committee for Freedom of the Press – Reporter’s Committee for Freedom of the Press – www.rcfp.orgwww.rcfp.org and and www.rcfp.org/foi_lett.htmlwww.rcfp.org/foi_lett.html Includes FOI letter generatorIncludes FOI letter generator

Investigative Reporters and Editors – Investigative Reporters and Editors – www.ire.org/foiwww.ire.org/foi and and www.ire.org/extraextra/archiveswww.ire.org/extraextra/archives Organizes resources and stories based on Organizes resources and stories based on

open recordsopen records Missouri School of Journalism FOI Center – Missouri School of Journalism FOI Center –

http://foi.missouri.edu/~foiwww/http://foi.missouri.edu/~foiwww/ Offers excellent, easy-to-find linksOffers excellent, easy-to-find links

Web sites and helpWeb sites and help

Society for Professional Journalists Open Doors Society for Professional Journalists Open Doors FOI resource – FOI resource – http://www.spj.org/foia_opendoors.asphttp://www.spj.org/foia_opendoors.asp Use its “A-Z” guide to find subject information Use its “A-Z” guide to find subject information

quicklyquickly Society of Environmental Journalists – Society of Environmental Journalists –

http://www.sej.org/foia/indexhttp://www.sej.org/foia/index Find out what’s worked and hasn’t in its “Tip Sheet” Find out what’s worked and hasn’t in its “Tip Sheet”

and “FOI War Stories” pagesand “FOI War Stories” pages

Who has the record?Who has the record? Who do they share it with?Who do they share it with? Has it been released before? Has it been released before? The law and possible exemptions?The law and possible exemptions? What information is needed for the story?What information is needed for the story? How much time do you have?How much time do you have?

Planning, NegotiatingPlanning, Negotiating

Tracking FOIs Tracking FOIs

Keeping a log of requestsKeeping a log of requests Document or database requested?Document or database requested? Date and Time?Date and Time? How requested – Fax, E-mail, Snail mail?How requested – Fax, E-mail, Snail mail? Who was contacted?Who was contacted? Who contacted?Who contacted? Response?Response? Careful follow-upCareful follow-up

Overcoming denialsOvercoming denials Check the Web or just askCheck the Web or just ask Asking for a single recordAsking for a single record Going to a different agencyGoing to a different agency Going up a management levelGoing up a management level Getting details on expensesGetting details on expenses Narrowing the requestNarrowing the request Planning for redactionPlanning for redaction Knowing the law, planning the appealKnowing the law, planning the appeal Get help from U.S. colleagueGet help from U.S. colleague Court as a last resortCourt as a last resort

Guiding reportersGuiding reporters

Create an FOI-oriented newsroomCreate an FOI-oriented newsroom An FOI every dayAn FOI every day An FOI on every storyAn FOI on every story Filing FOIs early and oftenFiling FOIs early and often Write about denials when appropriateWrite about denials when appropriate

More IRE resourcesMore IRE resources

IRE Resource Center: IRE Resource Center: www.ire.org/resoucecenter/www.ire.org/resoucecenter/

Contest forms with FOI questionsContest forms with FOI questions More than 2,000 tip sheets from IRE and More than 2,000 tip sheets from IRE and

NICAR conferencesNICAR conferences Searchable database of more than 20,000 Searchable database of more than 20,000

stories, both print and broadcaststories, both print and broadcast