Congratulations to former Civic Reporting fellow Leona Towner on being selected to join the #FOIAFest Boot Camp cohort! www.raceandequityproject.org/foia-fest-bo...
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#FOIAFest
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The FOIA Fest 2026 program is live from the Chicago Headline Club, the Chicago chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.
See sessions, speakers, and open records resources here:
headlineclub.org/2026/02/13/f...
#FOIAFest #OpenRecords #PressFreedom
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Great time at #FoiaFest today!
Thanks to everyone who came to our panel on managing collaborations and major projects.
Collaboration is more essential than ever these days as newsrooms continue to see staffing cuts & resource loss.
So, a good time to reshare this:
go.bsky.app/6j5Dm7J
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a chocolate lab sitting on the legs of the photo taker on a couch
a chocolate lab contorted on the couch in a way that couldn't possibly be comfortable. his little teef are showing and he's got his legs stuck out like a dead deer or something.
wish I could have seen more folks at #FOIAFest this year, but my reporting partner (pictured) still gets a little antsy when he's left home alone for too long
thanks to everyone who came to our session on foia tips & tricks! & to lauren sheperd, @katelinderman.bsky.social @byadamrhodes.bsky.social
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Moderated #FOIAFest keynote wearing a Canadian tuxedo bc why not
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Thanks for following along! #FOIAFest is all about sharing knowledge, so let’s keep it going—what are your go-to public records tools and tips? Drop them below! ⬇️ #SunshineWeek 9/9
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Description of document: Requested date: Release date: Posted date: Source of document: Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) list of the monographs and histories produced at the CIA as part of the DDS&T Historical Papers collection 2009 28-May-2009 21-August-2009 17-March-2025 Central Intelligence Agency Information and Privacy Coordinator Washington, DC 20505
Look at other FOIA responses to get an idea of what people are asking for. MuckRock is great for this. I also love Government Attic governmentattic.org
The Black Vault www.theblackvault.com
FBI Vault vault.fbi.gov/reading-room... #FOIAFest
8/9
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MUCKROCK Exemptions Q Show Filters & Search Showing 1 to 25 of 214 Page 1* of 9 25 • items per page First Page Previous Page Next Page Last Page Name Absent Records exemption of Hawaii
If you need help with writing, there are plenty of public records examples online. Whether you call it FOIA, FOIL, APRA or OPRA, this has you covered. www.nfoic.org/state-sample...
MuckRock has a great template library for appeals, too! www.muckrock.com/place/exempt... #FOIAFest 7/9
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The Headline Club, who put on this fantastic event, also have some great resources online. #FOIAFest 6/9
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There are great resources online for reference. @rcfp.org Open Government Guide www.rcfp.org/open-governm...
@spj-posts.bsky.social www.spj.org/opendoors.asp
@muckrock.com www.muckrock.com/news/archive...
FOIAWiki foia.wiki/wiki/Main_Page
🧰 www.journaliststoolbox.org/2020/02/23/p...
#FOIAFest 5/9
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If you need to appeal, in Illinois, the Attorney General Public Access Counselor will consider your case. Before you do that, read its index of binding decisions to give you insight into legal precedent. You might not have gone to law school, but it will give your arguments new weight. #FOIAFest 4/9
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Start your FOIA journey Learn about the FOIA process Use our search tool to find public records or the correct agency Start a request with a specific agency
You have to know where to send your request. There are places to find that out! Chicago www.chicago.gov/city/en/narr...
Cook County www.cookcountyil.gov/service-grou...
Illinois www.illinois.gov/about/foia-c...
Federal
www.foia.gov/foia-contact... #FOIAFest 3/9
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(5 ILCS 140/1) (from Ch. 116, par. 201) Sec. 1. Pursuant to the fundamental philosophy of the American constitutional form of government, it is declared to be the public policy of the State of Illinois that all persons are entitled to full and complete information regarding the affairs of government and the official acts and policies of those who represent them as public officials and public employees consistent with the terms of this Act. Such access is necessary to enable the people to fulfill their duties of discussing public issues fully and freely, making informed political judgments and monitoring government to ensure that it is being conducted in the public interest.
It might seem like common sense, but reading the law gives you a great idea how it works and what its limits are. It also can help you push back on a denial. This is the code in Illinois www.ilga.gov/legislation/...
and this is the federal law.
www.justice.gov/oip/freedom-... #FOIAFest 2/9
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“FOIA Fest 2025” with a stack of documents next to it
It’s #SunshineWeek, and my contribution is a thread of must-know public records tools and resources for #FOIAFest! Whether you’re new to FOIA or just looking to sharpen your skills, these tips will help you get the records you need. Let’s dig in… 🧵1/9
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I've never heard of a public meeting limited to residents within a four-block radius of a location. And, no, Block Club Chicago is not "corporate media." The opposite actually. blockclubchicago.org/2025/02/25/a... Hoping NAHJ and SPJ backs up this reporter. @morelatinosinnews.bsky.social #FOIAFest
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I'm again thrilled to be participating in the excellent #FOIAFest from the Chicago Headline Club with all sorts of very smart people including my @wttw.bsky.social coworkers. You should totally go!
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Catch Senior Reporter Sarah Conway and @invisible.institute trina keynoting with Chicago Headline Club #FOIAFest this March! They'll be speaking about their Pulitzer Prize-winning investigation #ChicagoMissingPersons.
headlineclub.org/2025/02/21/f...
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Since the fantastic #FOIAFest is kicking off today from my wonderful friends at Headline Club, I figured I would re-up my thread from past years from the awful site that many have abandoned. I hope I catch you there today.
x.com/JaredRutecki...
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Hey #FOIAFest! Come to room 405 at 1:30 to learn about @rcfp's iFOIA & public records tools. Also, I'll give you a #FOIA sticker!
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Many thanks to @headlineclub and everyone at #FOIAFest for the chance to talk about #opengov tips and @rcfp's http://ifoia.org
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