C.J. Ciaramella filed his first MuckRock request in March 2013, and most recently obtained the DEA’s training materials on parallel construction. For this week’s Requester’s Voice, CJ outlines how public records bring together journalists and activists from across the political spectrum.

President Obama is fond of touting his open government pledge and his latest proposals to reform Freedom of Information Act compliance identify real issues in sore need of remedy. But FOIA needs more than promises.

While the scheme to use a $1 trillion platinum coin to bypass the debt ceiling drama never gathered much steam at the Treasury Department, officials kept close watch on media reports about the concept.

Today MuckRock chronicles the saga of a request for Beyoncé’s Inauguration backing track, as well as copies of other backing tracks created for Inauguration events. Unfortunately, two outside legal experts and the U.S. Marines Corps have warned us strongly against publishing the documents we got got back. The reason? Copyright.

Even as America begins processing that harrowing news that pop superstar Beyoncé dubbed over her inaugural performance of Star-Spangled Banner, there is a silver lining: The country might inherit a public domain work from the 16-time Grammy Award winner.