Reporting collaboration reveals complicated system behind public record disputes
This Sunshine Week, a joint reporting project from AP and CNHI News finds a prohibitive system behind public record requests.
Shining a light on public records changes in COVID-19 era
This Sunshine Week, AP is examining the backsliding of press access and government transparency in the wake of pandemic-induced changes to public records and meeting laws.
Making Sunshine Week brighter
This Sunshine Week, AP has activated its Sunshine Hub, an online transparency tool that tracks state legislative attempts to alter the flow of public information.
More sunlight in Sunshine Week
This Sunshine Week has unfolded amid a flurry of developments that highlight the importance of seeking greater access through court action and the legislative process -- or, as one case illustrates, by not taking no for an answer.
AP investigative reporter offers tips for seeking public records
The Associated Press is committed to fighting for access to information the public has a right to know. AP journalists across the country routinely file Freedom of Information Act requests to uncover critical information that the government would have preferred to keep secret. Washington investigative reporter Jack Gillum recently broke the story that Hillary Clinton used a private email server at her home, and he mined information on Instagram to track Illinois Rep. Aaron Schock’s spending. Gillum frequently draws from records requests to report exclusives. Here, he explains why they should be part of every journalist’s toolkit: