Aug. 20, 2026

■ US officials discussed firing Stars & Stripes publisher Max Lederer ahead of his Sept. 30 retirement, which was provoked by differences with the Trump admin  (CBS News) / ‘Three Democratic Senators, in a letter to Sec. Pete Hegseth, raised concerns about leadership changes at Stars and Stripes. The senators, along with staffers and board members, worry about eroding independence at the newspaper.’ (Scott Nover)

■ Scott Jennings emerges as early favorite to replace Karoline Leavitt but process is just beginning (CNN) / ‘...After clips of Jennings defending Natalie Harp made their way around the WH — including some he sent to senior staffers himself — he reached out to schedule a private meeting with Susie Wiles over the weekend, a person close to the WH told me. No decision was made and no offer extended...’ (Dasha Burns)

■ New cable giant emerges: Charter closes $34.5 billion deal for Cox and Liberty (Hollywood Reporter)

■ A look at upcoming changes to 60 Minutes under Nick Bilton, including making greater use of its archive and potentially turning interviews into podcasts  (New York Magazine) / California AG tells CNBC that settling Paramount-WBD lawsuit would require ‘robust structural remedies’ (CNBC)

■ Prism and other nonprofit outlets that focus on ‘movement journalism’ and exposing injustice are struggling with funding as the Trump administration targets DEI (Columbia Journalism Review)

■ ‘Ross Barkan initially called scrutiny of his work “character assassination." But after 67 articles were found to violate standards, he's apologized — and we have learned the professional fallout keeps expanding. (Status) / ‘New York University tells Natalie Korach that Ross Barkan will not be teaching at the school this fall, where he has been an adjunct professor, amid fallout over his work.’ (Oliver Darcy)

■ Vox.com lays off 4 employees after Murdoch acquisition (TheWrap) / ‘...EIC Swati Sharma emailed staff saying the site is refocusing on several core editorial pillars, and plans to reinvest in those areas.’ (Max Tani)

■ Collin Binkley named White House reporter (Associated Press) / The New York Times appoints news director for Culture (New York Times) / The New York Times names space editor (New York Times) / CNN’s Krishna Andavolu named explainers correspondent (CNN) / Semafor taps Ashley Gold for key role covering technology (Deadline) / Dahlkamp to cover tech policy and politics for Politico (Talking Biz News) / ​​NHPBS CCO retires, CapRadio marketing and revenue leader exits (Current)

■ Axios launching ‘Axios Mesa’ and ‘Axios Scottsdale’ (Axios)

■ New statewide prison newspaper program gives a voice to Colorado’s incarcerated (Rocky Mountain PBS) 

■ US fact-checkers launch collaboration debunking deceptive 2026 midterm ads and election disinformation (Poynter) / Google’s new AI tool helps fact-checkers investigate AI fakes (Nieman Journalism Lab)

■ How ‘Dateline’ became a content dynamo for NBC News (Variety)

Local government secrecy: How can journalists push back?

By Le Nguyen, NPCJI Press Freedom Fellow

When it comes to releasing information in the public interest, local government often comes up short.

For instance, local residents and journalists concerned about contracts to build AI data centers — a key concern for many local communities — have found concrete information on the plans difficult to find.

Uncovering information local governments prefer kept secret has nevertheless led to impactful stories. For example, last year, journalists investigating local and state government data uncovered how Connecticut towing companies were allowed to sell the vehicles of low-income residents. In 2024, reporters with the San Francisco Chronicle revealed the secret systems used to cover up police misconduct in California.

Underfunding and outsourcing

Underfunding and outsourcing are two major factors driving local government secrecy, according to Spivack. For example, paying somebody to handle public records requests is not necessarily a high priority for local or state governments, especially if they are struggling financially, she said. 

To save costs, local governments also frequently outsource public services to private contractors, which might not be willing to share records they are holding.

For example, Spivack said, a person might go to the local government to request to see relevant records about trash collection. If the service has been outsourced, they may be directed to the private company who was contracted with the service.

“For whatever reason the private company may say, ‘We’re not going to give it to you,’” Spivack said.

Political decisions by state or local governments that might benefit from hiding wrongdoings can also reduce transparency. “Florida actually has one of the best public record programs in the country for a state, but it’s getting worse,” Spivack said.

Utilizing public records requests

Journalists have a right to request public records from their local governments. States have their equivalents of the federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), which are “basically the same idea” as the landmark act, Spivack said. 

“If something is enforced, inspected, licensed or purchased, there is probably a public record,” she stressed. 

If a journalist is investigating outsourcing of trash collection to private companies, for instance, they can request to see the contracts, find out who competed for them, how much they are worth, and how many times the private company has failed to do its job — all information that can help determine whether government money is being properly spent, Spivack noted.

Before submitting a request, reporters should zero in on which departments with local or state government might hold the information, Spivack advised. They should ask for records that already exist, not those that will need to be created, such as an analysis of a data set. Officers will likely refuse a request they view as beyond the direct scope of the law, she warned.

Journalists should include relevant personal contact details in their request, and be sure to request a fee waiver in the public interest. They should also make sure the documents they request are searchable, especially if they are in PDF format, as state or local governments may provide unsearchable formats in an obstructionist effort. 

State and local governments have different timetables to respond to public records requests, Spivack said. “A lot of states are five to 10 days long. Maryland’s one of the worst in the country. It’s 30 days to respond,” she said.

When requesters receive a decision, they should ensure it contains the following information: whether the record was fully or partially released or withheld in full, name and contact information of the person that made the decision, a reference to the Code provision that is the basis of the decision, and a statement advising the requester of appeal rights.



“That’s where you’ll find out where these exemptions are and then how to appeal,” Spivack said.

Navigating exemptions

Public records requests at a state or local level are more prone to being denied under broad statutory exemptions, including trade secrets, personnel decisions, unfolding real estate deals, and the health information of an individual, Spivack noted. Each state has different exemptions, she added. For example, Virginia has more than 200 exemptions.

These exemptions can pose a significant barrier to journalists. “If you wanted something related to road repairs, but it’s being contracted out and you want to find out how much that contractor is actually paying, the private entity that holds the data may say this is a trade secret or proprietary information that if they were released would harm them in the marketplace,” she said.

Another barrier to open record requests is residency requirements. About 15 states will deny requests from people who are out of state and, in some cases, from people who aren’t registered state citizens, Spivack pointed out.

If a reporter in one state wants records in another, they should find a reporter from that state who can file the request for them, Spivack advised. She also recommended utilizing Muckrock, where journalists can find proxies in other states to help file requests on their behalf.

Unlike federal FOIA — where a mechanism for administrative appeal is in place — a majority of states “have no appeal process, no administrative process, no ombudsmen, nothing,” Spivack cautioned. This can make appealing an exemption difficult and might necessitate legal measures to challenge exemptions.

If journalists decide to go to court, they can receive legal help from the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press or the American Civil Liberties Union in their respective states.

Going in person

Spivack heavily encouraged reporters to go in person to request open records of local governments. “Get to know the clerk of the city council, get to know the clerk of the court before you need them, ask them how they keep records, what format they used and what kind of reports they are logging every month,” she advised.

“If you’re interested in their job, they will become interested in you,” she said. “When you do call them or email them or whatever, they’re more likely to respond.”

Spivack advised journalists to show up in person to local council meetings. Journalists have a right to attend public meetings of government bodies, whether it is a council, economic advisory board, or police commission. Depending on the state, the date, time, location, and agenda must be posted up to 48 hours in advance.

“They’re all public bodies. They’re not supposed to go into closed meetings unless they have a specific reason that’s allowed under law,” Spivack said.

Public embarrassment works for elected officials, Spivack stressed. “Most of them do have public comment periods where members of the public can get up and just say, ‘Hey, I’ve asked for this, and you guys are stonewalling me,’” she said. “They will turn to the staff person and say, ‘Wait a minute, help this guy.’”



“It’s really important that state and local governments know the public is watching them all the time,” Spivack said. “Don’t just be there when the school board has done something you don’t like.” 

Follow us on Instagram!

Journalists need resources to navigate today’s press freedom challenges and accurately and effectively cover their government and communities.

Today, the National Press Club Journalism Institute launched its new Instagram page to do just that – bringing engaging, actionable content to journalists of all levels where they’re at: their social media feeds.

We invite Latest subscribers to be the first to join our Instagram community, where we will provide daily tips, reporting advice, press freedom advocacy, and opportunities for journalists to build new skills for the digital media age. (And don’t forget to follow the Institute on LinkedIn, Bluesky, and Facebook, too.)

Resources

• Video: OSINT basics any journalist can use now (National Press Foundation)
• The Civic Action Toolbox: Connects local reporting to public meetings, comment periods and the officials (Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute)
• Asking audiences for money? Here is how to make a stronger case (Trusting News)

This newsletter is written and edited by the National Press Club Journalism Institute staff. Send us your questions and suggestions for topics to cover.

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