@muckrock.com's sunlight desk provided background research for this report with the Nevada Independent! thenevadaindependent.com/article/form...

Want to chat about public records, investigative research and more? MuckRock's Michael Morisy and Brandi Swicegood are at the @knightfoundation.org's Knight Media Forum 2026 in Miami!

New from MuckRock: users can now request to join organizations directly from updated profile pages, track and withdraw requests and view their full request history. Learn more in our latest Release Notes: www.muckrock.com/news/archive...

Have a question about public records? Want to know how to get research, document and data support for your high-impact reporting? MuckRock's @morisy.bsky.social and Brandi Swicegood are at the @knightfoundation.org's Knight Media Forum 2026 in Miami!

The New Mexico Foundation for Open Government is advocating for a new task force to address the state’s public records deep backlog, reports @abqjournal.bsky.social.

A new survey shows that state Freedom of Information coalitions offer public records request support but a majority of journalists and other requesters are “not sure” what is available. www.muckrock.com/news/archive...

If you want more on records requests - or even just to peruse what other people have squeezed out of the government - @muckrock.com is a local group doing awesome work. Toss them some support if you're able. www.muckrock.com And with that - good morning everybody. 10/10

This looks like a great project and a great opportunity for someone to work with the documents that have been or will be obtained!

Today is @muckrock.com's Sweet 16. What a journey so far: Helping millions of people learn about public records, exposing (sometimes literally!) buried government secrets, and discovering all the ways unexpected ways transparency matters in people's every day lives. Thank you!

For the past 16 years, MuckRock has championed government transparency. Our users have filed more than 170,000 public records requests and released over 11 million pages of documents to the public. In honor of our birthday, here's some highlights over the years. 🎂

From tracking down essential documents to analyzing complex data sets, Sunlight Research Desk’s new membership options that can improve your newsroom’s investigative capabilities. Learn more: [https://www.sunlightresearch.net/membership](www.sunlightresearch.net/membership)

“We’re at the tipping point.” Federal FOIA requests have nearly doubled in the past five years, according to a Justice Department report, according to @columjournreview.bsky.social.

I talked with @camrodriguez.bsky.social about how to look for historical documents in this @muckrock.com "FOIAFriday" episode, which you can now watch on YouTube: youtu.be/igCzQLTiJbs...

See how a team of reporters used MuckRock Requests to file requests surrounding police misconduct in NY state, then used DocumentCloud Add-Ons to turn many different documents into standardized, searchable data. www.muckrock.com/news/archive...

Last week on FOIAFriday, we discussed how to obtain historical records through FOIA! The entire session is now available on MuckRock's YouTube:

The carpet industry’s long use of “forever chemicals” has polluted drinking water and the environment across swaths of the South for decades. MuckRock’s @sunlightresearch.bsky.social provided research on this new investigation.

ICYMI: @sunlightresearch.bsky.social launched new membership options that can help your newsroom track down essential documents, analyze complex data sets, and prepare detailed timelines to help your newsroom build the foundation for investigations. Learn more:

Hawaii’s State Archive has made 64 volumes of state records, including genealogy, land and court records available for public use, reports @statescoop.bsky.social.

Over the last six months, MuckRock teamed up with a class of investigative journalism students at West Virginia University to request opioid settlement spending documents from all 55 counties in West Virginia. www.muckrock.com/news/archive...

Save time and uncover critical details for impactful stories. 📰 Sunlight Research Desk is launching an updated membership program that gives your newsroom more access to support from the Sunlight Research Desk. www.sunlightresearch.net/membership

The Georgia carpet industry’s long use of PFAS, known as “forever chemicals,” has polluted drinking water and the environment across swaths of the South for decades. Sunlight Research Desk provided research to @ajc.com on this new reporting.

This month, @transjournalists.org requested records related to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainees’ access to gender-affirming care and federal funding threats over LGBTQ+ inclusive content.

The University of Michigan’s undergraduate chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union is accusing the university of charging high FOIA fees and excessive delays in processing requests. www.michigandaily.com/news/adminis...

The Environmental Protection Agency plans to stop expediting FOIA requests for underserved communities that have struggled with pollution. subscriber.politicopro.com/article/eene...

Join us for FOIAFriday at 1 PM ET to learn how to obtain historical records through FOIA! us02web.zoom.us/j/8966275089...

Last week, Building with MuckRock welcomed the Philly Transit Riders Union to talk about their work holding SEPTA officials accountable through public records requests and DocumentCloud. Watch the full video on YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=N30o...

This Friday, learn how to obtain historical records through FOIA with special guests Chicago-based journalist Robert Loerzel and New York Times journalist Steve Eder. Register: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

Developed by Johnny Bassett, PluckyWire has made content sharing and collaboration among local news partners even easier. www.niemanlab.org/2026/01/a-sc...

DocumentCloud will undergo some necessary infrastructure maintenance on Thursday, Jan. 29 at 10:00am EST. We expect minimal downtime, but there may be a brief impact on the processing of newly uploaded documents during the maintenance window.

New year, same mission. In a partnership with MuckRock, the @transjournalists.org has filed more than 300 public records requests to document the impact of anti-trans federal activities across the country. www.muckrock.com/news/archive...

This Friday, learn how to obtain historical records through FOIA with special guest @robertloerzel.bsky.social. Register: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

The Philly Transit Riders Union used DocumentCloud’s annotation feature to highlight public documents with their members and share them with local reporters and the public. Join us on Friday to learn more during our Building with MuckRock event. us02web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

On Friday at 1 p.m. ET, learn how to turn LGBTQ+ data into reporting that is accurate, thoughtful and community-informed with Albert Serna Jr., founder of the Los Angeles Center for Investigative Journalism. Register today:

Michigan continues to shield public records access to the governor’s office and MuckRock finds that 21% of the state’s requests come with a fee attached, one of the highest rates in the country, reports the Lansing City Pulse. www.lansingcitypulse.com/stories/mich...

On Friday at 1 p.m. ET, learn how to turn LGBTQ+ data into reporting that is accurate, thoughtful and community-informed with Albert Serna Jr., founder of the Los Angeles Center for Investigative Journalism. Register today:

Happy #FOIAing Trump's first-term presidential records day to those who celebrate!

The Philly Transit Riders Union used DocumentCloud’s annotation feature to highlight public documents with their members and share them with local reporters and the public. Join us on Friday to learn more during our Building with MuckRock event. us02web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

The MuckRock site is back up but some users may continue to see intermittent errors. Check our Service Status page for more information. help.muckrock.com/Service-Stat...

We are experiencing issues at MuckRock.com which are impacting MuckRock Requests. We are currently investigating the cause and will update our Service Status page as we have more information. Our other services are operating normally. help.muckrock.com/Service-Stat...

Just want to quickly express my gratitude for @muckrock.com, which patiently helps me streamline all of my requests :') thank you!!!

FOIA 101 webinar conducted Jan. 14 was thorough & interesting, facilitated by the Utah Investigative Journalism Project & featuring personnel from @muckrock.com. www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVyi...

President Donald Trump’s records during his first term in office will be subject to Freedom of Information Act requests starting on Jan. 20, 2026. freedom.press/the-classifi...

When FOIAing for environmental information, there are two things especially important to narrow down: topics and agencies. MuckRock's guide will explore how to use public databases to your advantage when filing environmental FOIA requests. www.muckrock.com/news/archive...

Data can reveal patterns and point to emerging stories. Yet it never captures the full reality of a community. Learn how to turn LGBTQ+ data into reporting that is accurate, thoughtful and community-informed. Join us on Jan. 23 for Reporting the Rainbow.

Building with MuckRock welcomes the Philly Transit Riders Union on Jan. 23 to discuss how they use DocumentCloud in their work. Register today: us02web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

The Office of the Texas Attorney General recently ordered Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s office to release nearly 1,400 pages of communications between Abbott and Elon Musk. More than 1,200 of those pages were fully redacted. www.muckrock.com/news/archive...

In case you missed it, registration is now open for Sunshine Fest! From March 15-17, we'll discuss the state of the freedom of information and government transparency in Washington, D.C. Learn more about conference and how to register: sunshineweek.org/sunshine-fest/

The Department of Homeland Security claimed four times within 48 hours that it had “no documents” in response to records requests for records likely to exist, reports 404 Media. theintercept.com/2026/01/09/d...

Requesting emails can be extremely insightful, but also a bit of an exemptions minefield. Get MuckRock's guide to emails here: www.muckrock.com/news/archive...

Celebrate government transparency in 2026! Registration is now open for Sunshine Fest, where we'll celebrate freedom of information from March 15-17 in Washington, D.C. Learn more about conference and how to register: sunshineweek.org/sunshine-fest/