The Post and Courier routinely uses the S.C. Freedom of Information Act to unearth crucial documentation for the benefit of all sorts of South Carolinians. The law is a principal method for holding the powerful accountable and shining a light on happenings that would otherwise remain in darkness.
The practice has recently exposed corruption, profligate spending, government dysfunction and a broad information-gathering practice by police. But the FOIA also promotes transparency in more than just government, politics and the criminal justice system. Anyone in the Palmetto State — not just the news media — can use it to unveil happenings in business, sports and the food world.