"All documents, maps, books, tapes, photographs, films, recordings, software...regardless of physical form...made or received pursuant to law or in connection with transactions of official business." - Florida Statutes Sec. 119.011(11)
By this point in the year we know Florida statute 119 is one of the most if not the most important statute for aspiring journalists to know. This was once again hammered home by this past Thursdays guest speaker and Director of Administration and Special Projects for the Hillsborough County Tax Collector's office, Preston Trigg.
Trigg went over in great detail: what a public record is, who can get a public record, what the rules are for obtaining a public record, types of records, common exemptions, tricks of the trade and what reporters should do.
However, some of the bigger things I took away were the tools of the trade. Trigg himself is a former reporter and having these trade secrets that can only be learned with experience passed on for free without sacrificing time to learn is invaluable.
Trigg talked about the many ways people working in public record halls will try to deceive you and the things you can do to render them moot. The first trick Trigg commented on was putting everything in writing to avoid any legal problems that could arise. If for any reason the public records workers refuse to hand over the records they must cite the exemption and nature of the record that the agency isn't giving you. It is a crime not to release a record, but it's also a crime to release an exempt record. Trigg also said to always ask for the costs up front so that they wont throw you a curve and high ball you. Inspect any records you look at in stead of just mindlessly copying the information. The time frame in which you receive the records must be turned over to you in a reasonable time frame. Last but perhaps most important, you must always be conscious of competition as your request for public records is public record so your competition can 119 your 119.
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