Keep your cool, get information

The Freedom of Information Act, or FOIA, exists to help citizens ask for records of their states and local governments, as well as the federal government.

There are a few things to know about making requests that will help you succeed. For example, it helps to be as specific as possible: instead of saying you want records for the last five year, ask for records since January 1, 2004. There are many resources online with other tips, and be sure to check out WikiFOIA on Sunshine Review.

But once you know these tips about drafting a request, communicating with information officers and their secretaries can try your patience.

During our Back-to-School project, I made calls to school district information officers and superintendents to ask questions and follow up on requests. These calls were mostly routine, polite, and fast. One, however, proved a little more difficult. The information officer for Marion County Schools in Florida had no time for my call, and was offended by my undated request. Every portion of my request seemed to be a burden, and because I wasn’t prepared for this attitude, I lost track of my thoughts ended up having to call his office three times.

In order to make the best out of that situation, here are some tips on talking with FOIA officials, so that you are prepared when you have a run-in with a less-than helpful FOIA officer:

1. Have a copy of the request in front of you, so that you are prepared when the person on the phone references it.
2. Know the state’s specific open records policy. Some states waive fees if the information will be used to inform the public, and most states have limits as to what governments can charge for documents.
3. Do your research. During one call with a school district, the information officer told me that the district does not lobby. However, Sunshine Review had documents showing the district is active in lobbying. Other times, secretaries would write me off and tell me that they “didn’t think” the district lobbied. Know as much as you can before making a request so that you can gauge the level of knowledge or disclosure the person on the other side of the line is willing to share.
4. Know every angle: what questions do you still have about the process? What will the cost be? What information can you give up if the price is too much? Write these down so that you don’t forget if you get flustered.
5. Get the office information. Before anyone can hang up on you, you need the FOIA contact’s name, direct phone number, and an address or fax number to send the request to. Remembering this will save you a second phone call.