How to File a FOIA Request: A Guide for Journalists

What is a FOIA Request?

FOIA stands for Freedom of Information Act. The law allows people in the United States to request information from their federal government. States also have their own version of "FOIA" that allows citizens to request information at a more local level.

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What should you consider?

• Does the government already post records like this somewhere online? Is a request necessary?
  • If they do, don't waste your time or a government employee's time. Go grab it yourself!
• What questions do you want to answer?
  • Think of data like a regular source. Prepare to "interview data" as if you're preparing to interview a person.
  • Be prepared to answer all questions by asking for a variety of different fields (information about a subject)
• Timeframe
  • How many years do you want the data for? Do you want data that updates yearly? Monthly? Daily? Request enough data so you can compare over time.
• Amount of data
  • Request more data rather than less. Don't limit your request to "top 10" or only one year.
• Geographic Area
  • If you want to make a map, consider what areas you want to include. Surrounding states? ZIP codes in a city? Different metro areas? City council districts?
  • Also consider what you may need to make a map. Do you have a shapefile so you can show these different areas? Do these areas change shape over time?

How to bulletproof your request

• Is your request reasonable?
  • Think about being on the receiving end of this request. Could you easily acquire the requested information?
• Can your request be turned down?
  • Could a government agency say "we don't have a file like that or we don't collect that information?" They may not be legally required to create a file for you.
• Can the information you requested be confused at all?
  • Think about how their information is kept
  • Limit any "open ended" fields where you want them to write specific information