Every day, Washington Post reporters use public records to inform people about our communities and hold powerful people and governments accountable. Government records have helped expose the role of drug companies in the opioid crisis and showed how U.S. officials misled the public about the war in Afghanistan.
How to FOIA: A visual guide for obtaining public records
I’ve filed thousands of requests in my career. Here’s how I do it, step by step.
Perspective by Nate Jones
and Emily Joynton
March 2, 2024 at 7:00 a.m. EST
As The Post’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) director, my job is to help reporters file requests for those documents — and win them. Now, I’m sharing my best strategies, tips and secrets in this handy guide.
Editing by Sarah Childress, Jenna Pirog and Hannah Good. Art direction by Hannah Good and Marissa Vonesh. Design editing by Christian Font. Copy editing by Jordan Melendrez.
Do you have a question, comment or FOIA idea? Leave a comment or email me at RevealingRecords@washpost.com
