Open Records - Homework for 2/24

Homework assignment
2/17/09
Open Records
Due: 2/24/09


Your assignment is to obtain a copy of an open record from a public body. You must request this in person and either obtain the document or write a report if it is denied stating who denied it and what they said. (You may not obtain the public record from the Internet.)

The point of this assignment is to give you an idea what kinds of reactions you get when you request public documents. If you’re an editor and you’ve actually done something yourself, it’s much easier to know what you are asking when you assign a reporter to do it.

Here are some ideas, but extra points will be awarded for those who obtain particularly difficult or newsworthy documents. Please do not spend a lot of money on copying fees. If a document contains hundreds of pages, just copy the first page and any other pages with newsworthy information. Remember you are asking to REVIEW the document, not for a copy of the whole thing. You decide what you want to copy. In the case of agendas though, the whole thing is usually one or two pages.

Important: everyone in class must have a different document to ensure that you are all getting the “open records experience”. Post the title of the document you are seeking on the class blog so there are not any duplications – the first person to post the document title is the person who will receive credit.

1. Agenda for the next Tulsa City Council meeting, available at City Hall downtown.

2. There are many other public bodies that operate under the City of Tulsa. Pick one that interests you and get the latest agenda or minutes from the last meeting.

3. Agenda for the next Tulsa County Commission meeting, available at the County offices in the courthouse downtown.

4. The petition filed by the district attorney charging someone with a crime. Look in the paper for stories about people who have been charged or are on trial. Available on the second floor, criminal division, Tulsa County District Court.

5. The jail booking log for a particular day (you choose). Available at the David L. Moss Correctional Center downtown.

6. The agenda for the Tulsa Public School Board, minutes of the last meeting or the budget for the current fiscal year. Available at the Education Service Center, 3027 S. Newhaven.