FOI Files
The rise, fall and (possible) resurgence of FOIA audits
The rise, fall and (possible) resurgence of FOIA audits By Jordan P. Hickey, independent journalist On Aug. 23, 1999, just after 8 a.m., regional supervisors for the Arkansas Health Department started getting phone calls from county health officials. Not exactly the most breaking news of the day, but what set those calls apart was…
Read MoreThe sun is setting on government transparency in Florida – and secrecy creep is affecting the rest of the US, too
By David Cuillier, Brechner Freedom of Information Project Florida, the “Sunshine State,” once known as a beacon of government transparency, is growing ever darker, and the clouds are spreading throughout the United States. From March 16-22, 2025, the nation celebrates the 20th anniversary of national Sunshine Week, which originated in Florida, historically home to the…
Read MoreSunshine Week calls attention to darkening skies over college campuses
By Amy Kristin Sanders, The Pennsylvania State University University employees engaged in sexual misconduct. Administrators misappropriating public funds. Scientists paid by industry groups to obtain desirable research outcomes. Wealthy donors influencing the admissions process. Open records laws have helped journalists and watchdog groups uncover these types of wrongdoing at universities around the country — but…
Read MoreSecrecy gives the government control. FOIA can restore the power imbalance
By Lauren Harper, Freedom of the Press Foundation Excessive government secrecy takes many forms, including denying or ignoring FOIA requests and deleting data from websites. These tactics prevent the public from meaningfully participating in self-government in every area secrecy touches, from domestic policy discussions on climate change, to foreign policy debates around international aid. Sunshine…
Read MoreStates of denial
By Megan Rhyne, Virginia Coalition for Open Government As the director of the Virginia Coalition for Open Government – a 29-year-old nonpartisan, nonprofit devoted to helping the public navigate the ins and outs of access to state and local government records and meetings – I’m often asked which state has the best open records or…
Read MorePublic records revealed the truth about how my son was shot to death by police
By Sheila Albers “There was a Honda Odyssey minivan in the garage. As the door opened, the minivan backed up, toward the second officer who was standing directly behind it. The officer drew his sidearm. He shouted “STOP THE CAR” in a booming voice that was picked up by another officer’s in-car recording system a…
Read MoreTrump 2.0
By David Cuillier, Brechner Freedom of Information Project Here we go again. And then some. The new presidential administration appears determined to conduct its work in secrecy, requiring even more diligence from investigative reporters. Eight years ago, I wrote an FOI Files column about the beginning of Donald J. Trump’s first term, noting agency clampdowns…
Read MoreAre your public records accessible?
By Julia Métraux, Mother Jones In mid-September, ProPublica and the Minnesota Reformer published an article about how Tim Walz and his office failed to meet the concerns of Black advocates after a police officer shot and killed Daunte Wright at a traffic stop in 2021. ProPublica published photos of transcripts of conversations and emails received…
Read MoreGlobal FOI: AP tests laws in 105 countries
**This article appeared in the Winter 2012 IRE Journal** By Martha Mendoza, The Associated Press My freedom of information lesson at The Associated Press Mexico City bureau was not going well. Everyone kept inexplicably cracking up. MISTAKE #1. It ends up that “FOIA” sounds remarkably close to a vulgar f-word in Spanish. Also, because Mexico actually…
Read MoreAmerican clunker: U.S. FOIA falling behind other countries
**This article appeared in the Fall 2014 IRE Journal** By David Cuillier, University of Arizona School of Journalism When it comes to freedom of information, the United States can learn a lot from other countries. Now, 103 countries have freedom of information laws, most of those passed in the last 15 years. Many were modeled after the…
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