The IRE Resource Center is a major research library containing more than 23,250 investigative stories — both print and broadcast. Add to that more than 3,000 tipsheets from our national conferences on how to cover specific beats or do specific stories and you have a resource that no reporter or editor should be without. These stories and tipsheets are searchable online or by contacting the Resource Center directly (573-882-3364 or rescntr@ire.org) where a researcher can help you pinpoint what you need. Browse or search the tipsheet section of our library below. Logged-in members can view the tipsheets free online:
Search results for "FOI" ...
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FOIA Machine
Journalists can use the FOIA Machine to better prepare and manage their FOI requests. The system allows them to file requests and support or track other ones.
Tags: Website; FOIA; FOI requests; FOIA Machine
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The Ask: Requesting and Negotiating For Records/Data
A guide on how to procure the documents you need in order to launch your investigation. This step-by-step tipsheet takes you through each individual step to gaining access to government records.
Tags: Burlington Free Press; FOI; Open Government Laws; Freedom of Information;
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Getting to Yes
LaFleur gives fantastic tips on how to get what you need through a FOI request. She even gives actual examples of being told no and how to turn that into a 'yes'.
Tags: FOIA tips; HIPPA; privacy; retention schedules
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Governmentwide FOI contact list
This is an excel spreadsheet with hundreds of contacts for different government offices whom you can contact for FOI requests
Tags: FOI contacts
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The Hidden Life of Guns
In this tipsheet, Grimaldi shares how The Washington Post reported the story, The Hidden Life of Guns, which won the 2010 IRE FOI Award. He provides a day-by-day account of the series of events the unfolded as the reporting took place. He also includes a source list of important interest groups.
Tags: firearms; weapons; NRA; ATF; gun violence; gun crimes; gun dealers
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The Art Of Access
Cuillier provides a comprehensive guide for data requests covering: planning your data requests; overcoming data denials; negotiation tactics; and FOI resources.
Tags: FOIA; freedom of information; data requests; open records;
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Investigations on the Beat
Laikin identifies several databases specific to various beats. She stresses the need to know FOIL laws & appeals, plus potential threats.
Tags: FOI; Freedom of Information; beat reporting; databases; government; public agency
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Paper and Databse Trails
Hall discusses the information that an investigative reporter can gather from various data sources including documents and databases. The tipsheet provides a list of documents/records and what sort of information you can anticipate finding with each given example
Tags: documents; FOI; databases; audits; payroll documents; police reports; correspondence; reports; annual budgets; overtime; purchasing records; contracts; campaign finance reports; test scores; tax-exempt organizations; inspection reports
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Private Eyes Share their Tips
Dawson's tipsheet lists helpful sources as identified by a private investigator. The first pages is a list of books. The remainder of the tipsheet details how journalists and PIs alike have lost access to information, and other threats to the future of the public's right to know.
Tags: PI; private investigator; FOI; public records; book; investigation; web search; backgrounding
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Access Arizona: Training and tips for acquiring public records and covering meetings in Arizona
This handout begins with a general overview of story ideas derived from FOI laws and guidance on creating a document driven newsroom. The second part of the handout details FOI laws specific to the state of Arizona.
Tags: Arizona; FOIA; Freedom of Information Act; open records; sunshine laws; story ideas; documents; open meetings; FOI request