FOI Friday: The stories made possible thanks to FOI in September 2016

A look at some of the stories made possible thanks to FOI laws in the UK – most of which can easily be replicated elsewhere… Ambulances called to one house 500 times < Kent Online Ambulance crews were called to 595 emergency calls from one private address in one year. The astonishing figure came to

FOI FRIDAY: 10 FOI ideas for journalists is back!

Welcome to the return of FOI – a weekly look at FOI stories which are worth sharing (and in many cases, copying). As an added incentive to read on, this blog will also celebrate/shame those councils who prove that actions speak louder than words when it comes to delivering on the principles of FOI and

Did David Cameron’s press office really ‘dupe’ the regional press?

This weekend, the Yorkshire Post did what all regional newspapers strive to do on big issues: Make a noise in the corridors of power in Westminster. It did so by making public its refusal to publish what it described as a ‘love letter’ to the people of Yorkshire from prime minister David Cameron about how

FOI FRIDAY: Clown crimes, daily A&E visitors, attacks on buses and pauper funerals

Sexual exploitation within a police force < Birmingham Mail Three West Midlands Police officers abused their position of authority by sexually exploiting underage children in the last two years. The predators in uniform were sacked or resigned after being convicted at court for targeting a 15-year-old and two 14-year-olds. Meanwhile, other officers from the force

FOI Friday: 10 stories which show how FOI helps local media make a difference

This week is Local Newspaper Week, run by the newspaper industry and the Newspaper Society, to promote the important work done by the local and regional press. The theme this year has been ‘making a difference’ – highlighting the campaigns regional newspapers have run which have helped change the communities they live in for the

Five reasons UGC has made the regional Press better

WARNING: This is a very long piece, written over several periods of time, looking at the power of UGC. In summary, its sets out why I think UGC has been good for the regional Press. * * * The other week, former editor and Holdthefrontpage blogger Steve Dyson turned his critical (often very critical!) eye to

The 12 days of Local Pressmasness: 10 great FOIs

Any news editor will tell you the Christmas is a time to fear and dread. The dirty looks when the rotas don’t go someone’s way. The knowledge that behind the smiles, reporters still aren’t any further on with their Christmas specials a week before Christmas than they were six weeks before. And the lack of

Using FOI to uncover political disquiet, infighting and backstabbing

In an age of spin and media management, getting to the heart of a political story can be tougher than ever. Thank goodness then for FOI – when used effectively it can be devastatingly brilliant. There are two main reasons why I believe FOI is so important for journalists. Firstly, it enables us to ask

FOI Friday: Credit card spending, charging for policing, domestic abuse homelessness and noisy people

10 good examples of FOI in action from the local, regional and national media: 1. Unpaid parking fines < < < Scunthorpe Telegraph Just shy of £250k has gone unpaid in Scunthorpe over the past three years. Not a new FOI request theme, but a relevant one: If councils are so hard up, then why

FOI Friday: Unusual council waiting lists, a housing crisis, and the theft of a six-foot cardboard copper

This week’s list includes how to work out if there’s a housing crisis, how well used (or not) Sarah’s Law is in your area, and finding out what people are your local prison have been jailed for