We promised yesterday that after a week’s worth of pontification about Sunshine Week and open-records laws we would run you through what it takes to obtain public documents on your own.
Well, here goes.
First, know who you should be talking to. Begin with identifying the proper government department or entity that would have the document. Remember, the state government can only give you documents that exist. Sending your request to the Statehouse or university without a sense of whose desk it should land on probably won’t produce great results, if any.
Calling and asking for the records is probably a great place to start, especially if your request is relatively routine. At Ohio University, you’ll likely call one of the university spokespeople or a Legal Affairs employee.
In Ohio, a records request need not be written. You can request public documents verbally — either in person or by phone — and sending a written request right off the bat can sometimes be seen as adversarial. So start with a phone call or visit. But if your inquiry is large or complex, be prepared for the person on the other end to ask you to send in a written version.
How do you write a proper records request? You start by finding a fancy letterhead. No public-records request looks complete without that. We use the Post flag that runs across the top of our newspaper, but don’t worry if you can’t come up with something official — it’s not actually a requirement.
If fancy isn’t your flavor, there are a number of generic forms you can find online if you search for “Ohio public records request form.”
Begin by addressing the request to the proper official. We address our university public-records requests to John Biancamano, interim director of Legal Affairs, and Pam Dailey, a Legal Affairs administrative associate.
Do your best to clearly summarize the information you’re looking for, ensuring that your request isn’t “overly broad,” which is a common refrain for organizations that would rather not respond to requests.
(Officials are legally required to give an explanation citing the specific law if your request is rejected or returned with blacked-out information. Don’t be afraid to ask.)
Obtaining hard copies of public documents might cost you money, and there is no legal standard other than “prompt” or “reasonable” for how quickly Ohio government organizations must respond to requests.
When you file a request, keep in mind that you are not required by law to give any sort of reason for wanting the records. If you just want a giant stack of papers to put on your desk to make you look important, well, in the eyes of the law, that’s just fine.
Also remember that you’re allowed to request the files in whatever form they are kept, meaning if the data are compiled in Excel spreadsheets, you can ask for those digital files. You don’t have to settle for a printout.
That’s a quick and dirty overview of requesting public records in Ohio. It probably sounds much more daunting than it actually is. If you want more specifics or have questions, there are a number of online resources (our favorite is the nifty Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press’ Open Government Guide, which you can find at rcfp.org) and we are always willing to help out.
We appreciate you checking back here during the past several days for our series of Sunshine Week editorials. Open records are important to us, and we strive to integrate them into our coverage the best we can.
As we wrote yesterday, we have a story that breaks down Ohio University’s General Fee allocation on the way soon, so keep an eye on our upcoming front pages for a good example of how we use public records to report stories that are important to you.
