“FOIA Machine” is a project of the Center for Investigative Reporting. According to the Center’s announcement, the “machine” will be a service online to make it easier for citizens to acquire federal and state government records, as well as the records of 90 foreign governments that have open access laws.
The project began with a grant from the Knight Foundation. Additional funds are being solicited on Kickstarter.
The original amount sought on Kickstarter was $17,500. At this
writing, approximately $36,000 has been pledged. Matching funds have
been committed by the Reynolds Journalism Institute at the University of
Missouri. The funding period on Kickstarter ends August 16, 2013.
The FOIA Machine page on Kickstarter sets out the Center’s principles and goals, in part, as:
“We’re
streamlining the complicated process of filing and tracking public
record requests, putting all of the steps, rules, exceptions and best practices
in one place and allowing users to track requests on dashboards,
receive alerts, share request blueprints and get social support and
expertise from the FOIA Machine community...
“...[W]e're asking for your help to finish development, improve design and pay for servers and data curation...
“We
have 15 users currently sending real freedom of information requests
through FOIA Machine, but almost 800 people are still waiting to use it.
And when we launch, that number will grow...
“[The
Center] has taken on FOIA Machine because we believe that journalism
that moves citizens to action is an essential pillar of democracy. To
correct injustices, people need to know what's really happening. FOIA
Machine is all about bringing previously hidden information to light."
When the project is ready for public participation, the Center says it will transfer the “machine” to Investigative Reporters and Editors.
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