Slides from a presentation given in Newcastle, March 2012, on journalists' use of the Freedom of Information Act 2000

1. Tip 1: know your exemptions

Be clear on what isn't exempt – e.g. in terms of
personal data, you won't get Mr X's medical
records, but you can get information relating to
his or her activities in a public role (e.g. a
council leader's claims for trips abroad)

With qualified exemptions, be prepared to make
a good public-interest argument – search
for/quote relevant precedents

Be prepared to negotiate to get (at least a
decent amount of) what you want

2. Tip 2: be precise

Most FOI officers want to do their job – but that
isn't second-guessing what you want

Define terms: e.g. if asking for correspondence,
clarify this means all letters, memos, reports
and emails

Set a clear time period – and be clear if the
public body works in calendar or financial years

3. Tip 3: work with the cost limit

If you ask for e.g. all correspondence between
x and y for last five years, you won't get it

If you ask for e.g. all emails between x and y
with 'z' in the subject heading, you will

Try to find out if information is kept in a specific
format (e.g. database or spreadsheet) – then
ask for that database or spreadsheet

Build in some flexibility – e.g. 'last 12-month
period for which figures are readily available'

4. Tip 4: 'stage' your requests

Give a maximal version but make clear you
would accept less to avoid the cost ceiling

For example: “All data about x for the last five
calendar years; or, if that breaches the cost
limit, then the last three calendar years; or, if
that breaches the cost limit, then the last
calendar year”

Can stage in other ways, too – e.g. “All letters
between x, y, z; or at least between x and y”

5. Tip 5: don't give them an 'out'

If you think certain documents might contain
elements that would fall foul of an exemption
(e.g. individuals' names), point out that you are
prepared to consider some degree of redaction

Suggest alternative information – e.g. if can't
get names of police officers, ask for ranks,
division, whether male or female. (This will give
you a better story but also make it easier for
you to track down the precise information
through other sources)

6. Tip 6: pitfalls of statistics

Many statistics available elsewhere – ONS,
Hansard, local government sites

Should be monitored as a matter of course

Don't pass off old statistics as new

Don't just ask for figures – get details, too

If possible, ask for 'raw-data' documents (such
as spreadsheets) rather than a précis

If you are asking for statistics, be ambitious

11. Tip 7: FOI is just the start

Information must be put in context and the story
must be developed

Case studies

Expert interpretation

Reaction

Graphical representation

16. Tip 8: documents and dossiers

Think about major events – try to get hold of
relevant letters, reports and other documents

In many cases these are filed in one place – so
asking for them may NOT fall foul of the cost
limit

Government departments seem better at
providing these than local authorities

Do your research so you know what is new and
what is not

19. Tip 9: know your FOI officer

They are not the enemy – they have a job to do
and being prepared to be flexible and negotiate
helps both parties

Should be lines of communication – often by
modifying a request slightly, or limiting its
scope, will get the result you want

20. Tip 10: know what you want

Are there specific documents that you know
exist?

Plan your questions carefully with a journalistic
nose for a story. What is the intro likely to be?
What other information are you likely to need
beyond the headline data? Make sure you ask
for this at the same time

22. Tip 11: steal good ideas

Previous FOI requests can be found in various
places – many can be adapted for reuse

Public bodies often keep a list of FOIs they
have answered online

whatdotheyknow.com

David Higgerson's FOI blog has a weekly
selection of the best media FOI requests

Google news searches for 'freedom of
information'

Twitter – many good discussion of #FOI

25. Tip 12: the limits of FOI

FOI use doesn't = investigative genius

If you get information through the act you
should mention it – but shock-horror 'obtained
under FOI...' intros are a cliché

Contacts are still the best means of identifying
and obtaining controversial documents

Press officers will often issue information

We don't want a relationship where both they
and we revert to FOI as a matter of course