Have you been reporting on COVID, or do you have COVID-related documents on DocumentCloud? MuckRock invites you to contribute your documents to a public digital archive to help journalists, researchers and historians tell the stories of the pandemic.

When an agency’s records department sends responses via the postal service (affectionately known as snail mail), those communications, including acknowledgment letters, status updates and responsive documents, come to us for processing. That address is changing for the first since in 8 years, but we’re working to ensure a smooth transition.

In June, Apple announced it will add state IDs, such as driver’s licenses, to its Wallet app, rolling out in participating states and at TSA checkpoints this fall. But public records tell the behind-the-scenes story about Apple’s interactions with government agencies when building out the idea, including how a select few jurisdictions were given a heads up as early as 2019, with many others finding out after the public.

Members of the Indigenous Investigative Collective recently joined MuckRock for a webinar to discuss how they’ve used records laws, data analysis and reporting to understand the impact of COVID-19 on communities, with a particular focus on Navajo Nation, including how a patchwork of transparency laws left key questions unanswered.

Reuters reporters Peter Eisler and Grant Smith recently joined MuckRock to share what they learned building a nationwide database of local jail deaths. Here’s how you follow up with your own investigations.

In March, as government agencies closed or reconfigured operations at all levels, we paused our automated follow-up systems. Now that agencies are getting back to work at the new normal, we’re resuming our automated follow-up systems to ensure requests get a timely acknowledgment and response.

A few months ago, an agency we were talking to was struck by how MuckRock does user testing to improve our service. They wanted to know if we ever did user testing on agency acknowledgement letters. We hadn’t, but it seemed like a good idea — and now we have some interesting results to share.

MuckRock is looking for reporters to help us investigate public records in two places where in-state citizenship is required to access them: Alabama and Arkansas.

Sunshine Week is here and Spring is right around the corner. No better time to announce a brand new round of MuckRock swag!

To celebrate Sunshine Week, MuckRock is hosting our very own transparency-themed science fair on Saturday, March 16th at Oficio Back Bay! Come and explore the ways an open government is essential to an informed and engaged democracy.