While it may not seem like it at times, our local, state and federal government are the most open in the world. You just need to know how to go about finding the information you want.

Access to these documents is the foundation of investigative journalism around monitoring public officials and evaluating government activities, but you don’t have to be a reporter to ask for them. Wasting people’s time with frivolous requests isn’t cool, but if you’re unsure if a record is public, it doesn’t cost anything to file one, writes Sarah Anne Hughes for billypenn.com.

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A record can be anything from an email to a video to a tweet, but whether or not it’s public depends on a few factors.

There are 30 exceptions carved out in the state’s Right-to-Know law. Records that identify a minor, reveal a “trade secret,” or could jeopardize public safety are off-limits. The judiciary is exempt from the law, save for financial records.

How exactly do you go about making the request? Here’s a step-by-step guide.

All of the information in this article comes from the Office of Open Records and a training given by its Executive Director Erik Arneson.

Contrary to what it may sound like, the state Office of Open Records (OOR) is not the department with which you file your request. Confusion happens often, Arneson said, and OOR — which deals with appeals — gets dozens of primary requests a year sent directly to them.

Instead, find the appropriate place to send your request using OOR’s database, where you can search for contacts by name, county, and type of agency. It doesn’t contain each and every department and group, Arenson said, but it’s the best place to start.

To start your own Right To Know application and to read the complete story click here. 

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