The online public-records website MuckRock announced recently that it’ll be offering a crowdfunding-like option to its users.
The project offers news consumers a chance to pledge money toward ongoing reporting projects. The platform is also giving journalists an improved way to display their progress and source material. Continue…
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Read More… from Public-records website debuts crowdfunding reporting
In Tennessee, people can inspect public records for free, but grabbing a photo could cost them.
As often as Tennessee officials gripe about copying these records, one might think common sense would prevail. Copying these records, officials say, is such a burden they have no choice but to charge fees — often as high as $1,000. Continue>>>
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Read More… from Photographing public records to save time a big no-no in Tennessee
Three graduate students found nearly half of the Indiana county agencies surveyed failed to obey the Indiana Access to Public Records Act.
Graduate students Craig Lyons, Samim Arif and DeJuan Foster conducted a reporting project to review the status of digital access within Indiana government agencies. Continue>>>
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Read More… from Indiana: Student reporting project finds faults in public records access
Advocates for reform of DC Jail reported Thursday (11) on six recommendations about facilities and programs, but they save the seventh to blast the District government for how hard it had been to track down facts about the Jail and the privately-run annex, CTF.
"Public records are difficult to obtain," wrote the authors. "The process for obtaining public records regarding the District's correctional system is complex, time-consuming, occasionally befuddling, and sometimes fruitless."
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Social media pages like Facebook can be a valuable tool for municipalities or police departments in reaching its citizens, however, public entities should keep an eye on proper record keeping, experts said.
Public records, whether digital or not, must be retained for specific time periods so that the information can be requested through the Open Public Records Act.
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Read More… from Do municipal Facebook pages and comments count as public records?
If you are a local school board member, city councilor or county commissioner, all of your meetings, actions and records are subject to Michigan’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
This series of laws has been on the books since 1977, designed to guarantee that the public has access to public records of government bodies at all levels in Michigan.
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Read More… from Editorial: Secrecy at the top of Michigan government?
For the past couple of months several people have attempted to gain access to Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s records as it relates to bills payable and due to the City of Chicago.
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Read More… from City of Chicago thumbs nose at FOIA – lies to keep Rahm’s records secret
The Senate Health and Welfare Committee gave the green light to the once-dead Insure Tennessee proposal Wednesday.
High praise to those senators who made this significant victory happen. It showed leadership for the citizens of the state of Tennessee.
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Read More… from Celebrate Insure Tennessee and public records victories
The Freedom of Information Act is one of the crown jewels of the modern American republic. The law, which requires public access to most government documents and communications, has made it significantly easier for Americans and the journalists who inform them to hold government officials accountable.
In a day and age when government gets ever-bigger, FOIA protects Americans from being ruled in secret. Or at least, it does so when officials actually follow the law — which, unfortunately, they often do not.
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Read More… from Editorial: Further reform of FOIA would be welcomed
Sunshine Sunday kicks off Sunshine Week in the Sunshine State. That should produce enough glare to require sunglasses as politicians boast about their open meetings, accessible records and public debates. Then why so many dark clouds on the horizon?
The concept of government in the sunshine is straightforward. Every public agency has to open nearly all of its meetings, allow relevant documents to be examined and copied, and let citizens hear the debate that informs important decisions, especially when tax dollars are at stake.
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