1. Inside a great story

2. Today’s outline Quiz Types of information What can you find out What we’ve noticed – the good and the not- so-good Where we are

3. Current Events Quiz What happened in Pittsburgh last week that attracted national and international attention? Which world leader gave a controversial 90- minute speech in front of the United Nations? What surprise information was revealed about Iran last week? Did the Browns win or lose their last game? What charter school will close at the end of this academic year?

4. Information is at the heart of all good stories and good writing Three types of information: – Stored: Information you can look up. – Observational: Personal experience and description. – Personal: Interviewing

5. Stored information From salaries to travel reimbursement reports, much information about government and government officials is public record. Quality stories need facts and figures.

6. Sunshine Law/Freedom of Information Ohio has Sunshine law Federal = Freedom of Information Act

7. Sunshine law Any records that document the policies, operations and other activities of the office. Exemptions: – Pending or imminent lawsuit – Contract negotiations

8. Sunshine law Request in writing from public agency. Public agency has to respond in a reasonable period of time; actual costs; provide copies. Video records are OK too.

9. Freedom of Information Act Similar to Ohio; but applies to federal. Name some federal agencies.

10. Overview of types of available information Police reports Personnel files of public employees All spending by any government agency Minutes of meetings All court proceedings - divorces, bankruptcies, criminal proceedings, small claims court, traffic arrests etc. Property records Tax records

11. Overview of types of information available Traffic crashes Reports about safety of roads or buildings Birth and death records The costs charged by funeral homes The tuition charged by public universities Budgets of government organizations

12. Let’s practice Let’s say you are assigned to City Hall and your editor tells you to come back with an “issue story” about City Hall? What documents will help you find and focus a story?

13. Budgets Budgets are the DNA of government. Follow the money. Follow the history of the money. Schedule a meeting to talk with the finance director to have him or her explain some of the fundamentals to you. Where you see differences, ask. Never, ever report something without understanding it first.

14. Budget practice Annual BudgetFiscal year 2008Fiscal year 2009 General government 1,231,8501,152,891 Agency X1,700,550980.703 Culture/Recreation2,089,6612,320,500 Debt service26,15227,076 Public safety3,907,2233,725,454

15. What do you notice? Annual BudgetFiscal year 2008Fiscal year 2009 General government 1,231,8501,152,891 Agency X1,700,550980.703 Culture/Recreation2,089,6612,320,500 Debt service26,15227,076 Public safety3,907,2233,725,454

16. Noticing details Culture and recreation was the one area that went up. As a reporter, what would you now want to do with this information?

17. Noticing details Agency X took a serious cut. 2008: 1,700,550 2009: 980.703 What percentage of a cut is this? How do you figure it? What would you want to do to investigate why Agency X had such a cut?

18. What you are looking for in documents Patterns Names Connections Ridiculous or odd expenditures $500 toilet seat by engineer.

19. Knowing what to look for Gut Instinct Editors Friends Lists – Many agencies have a list of the documents that they create and keep.

20. Open Records Request Letter Why reinvent? http://www.splc.org/foiletter.asp