News & Analysis
The Case for Free Access to FOIA-Based Public Documents Reporting
Full, unpaywalled access to public records reporting is not only good for democracy, it can increase reader trust and bolster sustainability.
Tag
FOIA
32 posts
Member Profiles
Civio: Data Journalism Pioneer in Spain, Still Pushing For Greater Transparency
The organization has one guiding principle: “Let the data speak.” But sometimes getting hold of the information they need is an uphill battle.
Reporting Tools & Tips
5 Tips for Slashing FOIA Costs (Including How One Reporter Lowered a Records Request Fee from $2,800 to Just $29)
With a little research and negotiation, reporters can slash the cost of obtaining records bundles and speed up the government’s response in the process.
News & Analysis
Using FOIA to Track Trans Rights in Trump’s America
To track how executive orders affecting transgender people are being enforced, reporters filed hundreds of public records requests with federal, state, and local agencies.
News & Analysis Press Freedom
Behind the FOI Desk: Using Freedom of Information Laws to Fuel Accountability Stories in Africa
Newsrooms across Africa have established formal, right-to-information help desks that leverage government document requests for public accountability and watchdog reporting.
GIJC23 Reporting Tools & Tips
Tips for Better FOIA Requests: Taking Right-to-Information Access to the Next Level
Many reporters rely on FOIA requests and RTI legislation for their investigations. But how do you take these requests to the next level?
Resource Video
GIJC23 – FOIA/RTI Investigations
More than half of the world’s countries have laws that require officials to supply public documents on request. These laws offer valuable windows for reporters, even for those outside of a country’s borders. But there are almost always tricks to targeting and expediting these disclosures, and this panel brings deep experience in how to do […]
Case Studies
How Journalistic Teamwork Uncovered Years of Regulatory Failure in Texas
The authors give a behind-the-scenes look at their investigation into a massive chemical fire in Houston in March 2019.
Reporting Tools & Tips
60 GB of Data, 27 Years of Hidden Payments: How Brazil’s Journalists Used FOIA to Reveal Pension Payments
Seventy stories and still counting. This is the main result of an ongoing struggle waged since 2017 for the disclosure of all pension and retirement payments by the Brazilian government. On the front line is GIJN member Fiquem Sabendo, a journalism agency specializing in that country’s Freedom of Information Act.
News & Analysis
Tips on Making FOIA Requests About COVID-19
Despite government restrictions, journalists around the world are using freedom of information laws to understand the COVID-19 pandemic and the response of international, national, and local authorities. GIJN’s Toby McIntosh outlines how to craft an effective freedom of information request and provides tips and suggestions on where to make requests and important questions to ask.