FOIA March Madness 2018 - Agency Talking Points (November 8, 2016 - March 13, 2018) (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)

To Whom It May Concern:

This is a request under the Freedom of Information Act. I hereby request the following records:

For the 16-month, 5-day period from Tuesday, November 8, 2016 through Tuesday, March 13, 2018:

(SUMMARY)

Any and all talking points and similar memorandums, emails, and transcripts providing advice or direction on how to handle the media, media interviews, and statements.

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(SPECIFICALLY)

Please include in your responsive materials any documents, emails, or communications with the following phrases in the title or subject line:

TALKING POINTS
STMT
STATEMENT
PRESS STRATEGY
___________

It would be greatly appreciated if materials could be provided on a rolling basis.

1. In the Office of Public Affairs or equivalent division

Please provide first all such materials produced in this agency’s Office of Public Affairs or equivalent division, and any representative thereof.

Please also provide all such materials received by this agency’s Office of Public Affairs or equivalent division, and any representative thereof.

2. Related to all agency employees

Please also include all employee email communications containing the following phrases:

TALKING POINTS
STMT
STATEMENT
PRESS STRATEGY

Alternative Response to 2:

If processing of this portion of this request would require its distribution to another or multiple other offices, it would be greatly appreciated if a response to this request would contain a description of the necessary offices to be tasked, the process by which the search will be conducted, and an estimate of the time and fees to be incurred. Such a description will allow us to better understand the parameters of this FOIA office’s ability to respond to this request as worded and will better enable us to reorganize and limit it as appropriate.

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Additional clarification:

This request is not intended for materials regarding one particular subject or event during this period.

If a different search procedure will be required dependent on segment of time covered, it would be greatly appreciated if a response could contain a description of the necessary difference in approach by time period (for example, if file keeping procedures have changed at some point in the last year and a half or if particular materials have been moved to another location).
_________

The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes.

In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.

Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 20 business days, as the statute requires.

Sincerely,

Beryl Lipton

Hello Mr. Graff,

Thank you for your message. I will attempt to address your questions in as efficient a manner as possible.

These records are being requested as part of a journalistic interrogation of the contents of agency "talking point" communications, as well as of the FOIA process by which they're obtained. For many years, I have been a reporter for MuckRock News, an organization that reports on and participates in the public records process and the materials released therefrom; we have a global audience of journalists, academics, historians, federal employees, FOIA officers, and individuals.

I am interested in all emails and other memos and communications referencing the initially-mentioned terms circulated through your agency - in both the Office of Public Affairs and in the agency as a whole. A description would be welcome in order to consider further limitations on this request, though if you consider such a provision outside the scope of this request, other alternatives or an estimate of the associated costs, if applicable, would be appreciated.

If a universal search of agency records isn't possible, please let me know and we can consider how to further limit this request by subject; the rhetoric and direction associated with "talking points" would undoubtedly be enlightening to an American public hoping to understand the operations of this agency and the workings of the federal government as a whole at this point in the country's development, but I'll await your response on the technological capabilities of the search before expounding upon additional support for this point.

Thank you for your time and help.

Best wishes,
Beryl