Getting hold of public records can sometimes be a long process, although as journalists – and indeed members of the public – we have the right to access recorded information held by public sector organisations.
However, sometimes this can be a challenge.
Kelly Hinchcliffe, journalist at WRAL.com, details in this article on Poynter the struggles of New York City reporter Joaquin Sapien after spending nearly a year trying to get records from the city and exchanging more than 50 emails with a freedom of information officer.
In the interview, Sapien details how he was driven to publish a story about his negative experience getting hold of the data, before it was sent to him the following day.
He advises journalists to know the law and what they are entitled to and when. Then, be persistent, be specific, and be polite, and if that doesn't work, publish your emails.
Check out some more tips and UK-based resources for FOI here.
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