Journalism relies on public records, but transparency laws are weakening nationwide, with longer response times, high fees and more frequent rejections. Agencies know that few newsrooms can research and push back on denials, and even fewer can litigate. This blocks both critical local accountability reporting and enterprise investigations, leaving the public in the dark.
A new partnership led by MuckRock and involving the National Freedom of Information Coalition (NFOIC), the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and the Brechner Freedom of Information Project is working to even the playing field.
The initiative brings together the resources of each organization and connects journalists with the country’s foremost records experts at the state level who have deep, local knowledge of laws, judicial precedents and strategies that can help them overcome challenges.
It also will connect those journalists to lawyers, if necessary — including through the Reporters Committee’s Local Legal Initiative and Legal Hotline — who can support stronger pushback, sometimes with pro bono litigation.
The partnership will develop AI-powered tools that integrate with newsrooms’ existing workflows to provide vetted guidance to journalists in identifying and acquiring relevant government records, speeding up the process of getting reliable information to the public.
“Our plan with this project is to put the extensive knowledge and expertise of the state freedom-of-information organizations into every newsroom,” said Jeff Roberts, NFOIC board president and executive director of the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition. “The ultimate goal is to help local journalists cover government more deeply and better inform their communities.”
The new partnership is made possible with a three-year $1.25 million grant from Press Forward, a national initiative to reimagine local news.
The funding is part of Press Forward’s Open Call on Infrastructure, which is providing $22.7million to 22 projects that address the urgent challenges local newsrooms face today.
“Today’s local newsrooms are much smaller than 25 years ago yet must do more with less – particularly due to rapid changes in technology and demands of a 24-hour news cycle,” said Dale Anglin, Press Forward’s Director. “The MuckRock Foundation’s project and others receiving funding represent a range of solutions that are needed to meet urgent challenges. We hope these awards can provide local newsrooms, organizations, and journalists with shared resources that strengthen their efficiency and capacity.”
More details, including ways for journalists to receive support and organizations to contribute to the effort, will be made public in the coming months.
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