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Data reporting @ Cronkite

Look for more tips and stories in the Resources page

Getting help

  • The Reporters’ Committee for the Freedom of the Press has resources covering all U.S. juridictions, including state and local government. Especially useful are the open government guides, which provide the status of common records used by reporters. The committee also runs a site called iFOIA, which lets members compose and manage their requests to any government agency. It can help reporters find pro bono or inexpensive legal help if you need to sue to get your records.

  • Muckrock.org is a non-profit that provides a home for public records requests to all different levels of agencies. It also makes public many of the results of those requests. To look for requests related to your state, pick it from the jurisdictions page. Members (free up to a certain number of requests) can also request advice from other members and the staff.

  • The Art of Access by David Cullier goes through strategies for learning about public records and dealing with the people in agencies. It’s filled with great tips and examples.

Backgrounding people and companies

Many of the resources listed on these handouts aren’t really public records, but there are enough sprinkled through them to give you a sense of what documents and data you should be able to get from government sources on deadline.

IRE handouts

(These are behind a paywall, for IRE members. Students can join for $25.)