The Art of Access: Strategies for Acquiring Public Records. David Cuillier and Charles N. Davis. Washington, DC: CQ Press, 2011. 236 pp.
According to one recent study, the average American consumes about thirty-four gigabytes of information each day. Much of that information—in the form of government reports and research data — is retrieved over the Internet. On the surface it would appear that the age of easy access to government records has finally arrived via the World Wide Web. However, in The Art of Access: Strategies for Acquiring Public Records, David Cuillier and Charles N. Davis paint a starkly different picture. Their book is a blueprint that journalists and average Americans can follow to obtain public documents.
In 236 pages comprising nine chapters, The Art of Access walks readers through how to gain access to reams of government information that is not easily accessible to the public. Armed with the Freedom of Information Act, the authors explain the procedure for filing FOIA requests. More than just a step-by-step guide, the book also highlights the significance of public records to journalists. Citizens can gain access to records, too, if they know how to ask the right questions.
These authors, both former newspaper professionals, are well qualified to advise: Cuillier, who teaches at the University of Arizona, chairs the Society of Professional Journalists’ national FOI committee. Davis, of the University of Missouri, is director of the National Freedom of Information Center.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the federal government received more than 600,000 FOIA requests in 2008. That number was down considerably from previous years, due primarily to accounting changes mandated by the Open Government Act of 2007. For example, approximately 21 million requests were received in 2007 using the older reporting guidelines.
Reporting guidelines notwithstanding, Cuillier and Davis explain in the first chapter why document access is vital. Public records allow journalists to find great stories, advance their reporting careers, and serve the watchdog role that permits them to protect community welfare. Public records also enable us to determine whether government is doing the job we want it to do. The Art of Access is packed with checklists, professional tips, and helpful links for filing a FOIA request and finding information.
Cuillier and Davis see access to public information as an entitlement. In chapter 2, readers are encouraged to adopt an attitude that asserts their right to government records. The authors remind us that the public has more power than mayors, governors, senators, and even the president.
“After all, they work for you,” they write. “You’re the boss. You are entitled to see most of the records they produce for you.”
The premise of the book is that public records are essential to good journalism. The authors exhort journalists to pursue access to public documents vigorously, even at the risk of alienating official sources. They list four points for reporters to consider. First, pursuing public records is a reporter’s job. Second, public records can provide indisputable evidence of government misconduct. They can also reduce dependence on spokespersons and news releases. Finally, including information gleaned from government documents in stories can motivate others to come forward with additional information.
The Art of Access also coaches readers on how to master access law in five easy steps. Additional chapters are devoted to finding records, developing strategies for effective requests, overcoming denials to information, and understanding bureaucratic culture. Chapter 9, the final chapter, is appropriately titled “Putting it together: Writing the FOI story and FOI ethics.”
Cuillier and Davis caution that incorporating public records into storytelling requires skill and planning so as not to bore readers. They cite a 2000 study where readers preferred a story based on anecdotes and authoritative sources over one based on a reporter’s data analysis. In short, gaining access to public records does not release journalists from the obligation of writing in a way that makes their stories compelling.
“Once you get the records, the work isn’t over. It just begins,” the authors say. By devoting a chapter to incorporating public documents into stories, Cuillier and Davis render a service to beginning journalists and veteran reporters alike — as well as to their readers.
The Art of Access lives up to its billing by revealing how to become successful at getting public records. It also suggests strategies for dealing with public servants who are between you and the records you desire. The book would serve as an excellent supplemental text for beginning reporting classes. It also has considerable value in public relations classes by offering perspective to students seeking careers as public information practitioners. In fact, the role of public servants in making information available is well covered in the book.
Beyond checklists and filing procedures, the overarching message of The Art of Access is that the record requester must master the art of the search in order to gain access to what is lawfully within the public’s right to know. Readers will come away informed and well prepared for the often arduous process of document discovery.
NAPOLEON BYARS
University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill