Comments on: The Chicago Way: Daley’s Online Transparency Ploy http://www.chicagonewscoop.org/the-chicago-way-daleys-online-transparency-ploy/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-chicago-way-daleys-online-transparency-ploy Reporting and Analysis About What Matters in Chicago Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:44:48 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.1 By: MuckRock makes FOIA requests easy, but will reporters use it? » Nieman Journalism Lab http://www.chicagonewscoop.org/the-chicago-way-daleys-online-transparency-ploy/#comment-1805 MuckRock makes FOIA requests easy, but will reporters use it? » Nieman Journalism Lab Thu, 21 Oct 2010 16:01:25 +0000 http://www.chicagonewscoop.org/?p=2491#comment-1805 [...] The idea was to build a service that anyone could use — a long-time journalist, a neighborhood blogger, or someone simply looking to get answers out of city hall. The value to bloggers or citizen journalists seems clear: Providing not just tools but guidance on the sometimes labyrinthian process of making document requests. But for journalists working at established media outlets, the pitch is a little more tricky. “We’ve kind of found our sweet spot right now is helping out anybody who’s at least that pro-am journalist or a community blogger,” said Morisy, who has written for the New York Daily News and Business 2.0. “But also the overburdened reporter who writes stories, blogs, tweets, and has to juggle investigations.” In theory, a new resource to help newsrooms expedite FOIA requests would be a help, particularly at a time when shrinking staff and rising demand on reporters may exclude investigative projects. In reality, experienced journalists are generally more comfortable undertaking FOIA requests themselves, if not for accuracy than to keep a story under wraps from competitors or the government itself. [...] [...] The idea was to build a service that anyone could use — a long-time journalist, a neighborhood blogger, or someone simply looking to get answers out of city hall. The value to bloggers or citizen journalists seems clear: Providing not just tools but guidance on the sometimes labyrinthian process of making document requests. But for journalists working at established media outlets, the pitch is a little more tricky. “We’ve kind of found our sweet spot right now is helping out anybody who’s at least that pro-am journalist or a community blogger,” said Morisy, who has written for the New York Daily News and Business 2.0. “But also the overburdened reporter who writes stories, blogs, tweets, and has to juggle investigations.” In theory, a new resource to help newsrooms expedite FOIA requests would be a help, particularly at a time when shrinking staff and rising demand on reporters may exclude investigative projects. In reality, experienced journalists are generally more comfortable undertaking FOIA requests themselves, if not for accuracy than to keep a story under wraps from competitors or the government itself. [...]

]]> By: Martha Zeprun http://www.chicagonewscoop.org/the-chicago-way-daleys-online-transparency-ploy/#comment-1804 Martha Zeprun Wed, 19 May 2010 18:45:00 +0000 http://www.chicagonewscoop.org/?p=2491#comment-1804 If Daley is going to list all the FOIA requests, some news organization should keep track of the following: 1. How long it takes to get the information 2. How many comments/questions from the city 3. If the information is provided. 4. What parts are missing 5. Percent of document that is blacked out. 6. Anything else that demonstrates the city's unwillingness to provide the information. I wonder how Daley will respond to this. If Daley is going to list all the FOIA requests, some news organization should keep track of the following:

1. How long it takes to get the information
2. How many comments/questions from the city
3. If the information is provided.
4. What parts are missing
5. Percent of document that is blacked out.
6. Anything else that demonstrates the city’s unwillingness to provide the information.

I wonder how Daley will respond to this.

]]> By: Chris Wetterich http://www.chicagonewscoop.org/the-chicago-way-daleys-online-transparency-ploy/#comment-1803 Chris Wetterich Mon, 17 May 2010 20:12:03 +0000 http://www.chicagonewscoop.org/?p=2491#comment-1803 Daley's not the first one to institute this policy in Illinois. Springfield Mayor Tim Davlin beat him to the punch back in January: http://blogs.sj-r.com/boilerroom/index.php/2010/01/08/four-things-davlin-could-put-online-more-helpful-than-foia-requests/ Daley’s not the first one to institute this policy in Illinois. Springfield Mayor Tim Davlin beat him to the punch back in January: http://blogs.sj-r.com/boilerroom/index.php/2010/01/08/four-things-davlin-could-put-online-more-helpful-than-foia-requests/

]]> By: Thomas Westgard http://www.chicagonewscoop.org/the-chicago-way-daleys-online-transparency-ploy/#comment-1802 Thomas Westgard Sun, 16 May 2010 14:11:52 +0000 http://www.chicagonewscoop.org/?p=2491#comment-1802 We now have the ability to contact the requestors and try to get the response. That's probably a story waiting to be written. We now have the ability to contact the requestors and try to get the response. That’s probably a story waiting to be written.

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