|
This story is rooted in a records request. I covered many hearings for the bill and noted the silence from top university leaders. I made requests for emails spanning a specific time frame from government relations officials along with presidents at three universities. That request got me more than 200 pages of records, including some meeting minutes that were the catalyst for this story.
What are some of the biggest access issues you have faced when seeking records?
Morona: There’s the dreaded “overly broad” or “trade secrets” responses. But what I’m seeing an uptick of more now that worries me is when some communications folks ask me to file a records request instead of choosing to answer (relatively benign) questions directly. This creates more back-and-forth as well as adds time to my reporting process.
There's always the option to jump on a call to verbally talk through a request with a comms officer or general counsel's office, which may or may not help. Otherwise, I just continue to file more requests, revisiting and sharpening language when I can.
What are five types of public records that reporters should ask for on the education beat?
Morona: I cover higher education, so with that in mind, here are a few ideas for public institutions:
- Employees added/removed from payrolls each month (including names, titles, and salaries)
- Contracts as well as any presentations produced between institutions and consulting firms
- Yearly goals and/or performance reviews for top leaders
- Expense reports
- For new hires: Personnel files from former university if it was a public
What do you look for first when you receive the records you requested?
Morona: I typically do a “CTRL + F” search for any of the biggest keywords that pushed me to make the request — a person, date, topic, etc. I’ll also screenshot some of what immediately jumps out to me and share with my editors. That creates a good reference point to return to as well as a roadmap of potential noteworthy nuggets.
| 
