Cities across the U.S. are defying FOIA laws, indefinitely delaying requests
Despite lacking legal authority to do so, localities and agencies around the United States are still pointing to the COVID-19 pandemic as a reason for delaying responses to public records requests, sometimes indefinitely.
Buffalo judge denies police union attempt to block police disciplinary records
Complaints against Buffalo police officers and firefighters — regardless of whether they are unsubstantiated, pending, or involved in a confidential settlement — will remain subject to public disclosure, a New York judge ruled Tuesday.
The MuckRock/MisinfoCon Police Misinformation Tipsheet
Misinformation and disinformation originating from law enforcement sources, which has lately included Antifa raids, brick piles, poisoned milkshakes and more, has sparked considerable interest in the past few months. But journalists who cover the police say this is common — even the rule. Here’s what you need to know and how public records can help.
FOIA Roundup: FOIA finds regulatory weaknesses, the debts owed to D.C., and more Mueller soon
In this week’s FOIA Roundup, we feature an investigation from Science on oversight of clinical trials, a questionable court decision on Twitter direct messages, and the recent decision to overturn Department of Justice exemptions throughout the Mueller report.
Release Notes: What your newsroom needs to know about the DocumentCloud migration
We’re three-quarters through migrating newsrooms over to the upgraded DocumentCloud platform, so we wanted to take some time to walk through what we’ve learned so far and what newsrooms need to know for a smooth transition. The video of our discussion last week — including Q&A time where we answered burning questions — is below. We also upgraded MuckRock’s servers to offer a faster, more responsive experience.
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FOIA 101: Tips and Tricks to Make You a Transparency Master
★ FeaturedWhether it's your first request or your first request *today,* it never hurts to go over the basics. MuckRock's compiled a lot of FOIA advice over the years, and with this project, it's all in one place. -
Transparency changes in response to COVID-19
★ FeaturedGovernment agencies at all levels are adjusting their operations. How is this affecting FOI policy? We're keeping track here. -
Law Enforcement Lawsuits
★ FeaturedPolice misconduct is often hidden from public view and settling the lawsuits that result can be a regularly costly business for police departments. Police departments in the United States spend hundreds of thousands of dollars each year to pay the victims of these crimes. Help us shine a light on misconduct settlements in your town. Submit the name of a city and state. We’ll handle the rest.