Washington, D.C.

March 15, 2009: "Post reporters routinely file Freedom of Information Act requests to dislodge public records. Editorials warn about the dangers of government secrecy. And the newspaper is willing to sue government agencies to force disclosure of documents. It cares about the public's right to know.

So you would think that with its stature, here in the nation's capital, The Post would be the leader in fighting for transparency. It isn't." Read the full article here.

Criminal, Other Records Available Online
February 26, 2009: "D.C. Superior Court officials will gather today to promote a Web site that gives the public access to a variety of court records, including those in civil, criminal, domestic violence, tax and probate cases." Read the full post here.

Why Can't A D.C. Blogger Get Public Records?
October 20, 2008: "Journalism is a craft, one that anyone is free to exercise. But journalism is an unusual craft, in that its purpose and activities are specifically protected by the Constitution.

So when government agencies, businesses and courts get into the question of just who qualifies to be a journalist, things get murky very quickly. The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), which operates Metro, has informed the excellent Greater Greater Washington blog that it is not part of the news media and is therefore not eligible to make public records requests and get a fee waiver, as reporters from real journalism outlets do." Read the full column here.

Transparency & Government

• District of Columbia state budget
• Ten point checklist for D.C. organizations
• Washington, D.C. government corruption
• Washington, D.C. transparency legislation

FOIA Laws

• District of Columbia Freedom of Information Act
• Washington, D.C. FOIA procedures

Blogging resources

• Washington, D.C. blogs

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