Resources for journalists

From the Spring 2007 issue of The News Media & The Law, page 15.

“FOIA is the slowest way to get information from the military,” said Jim Crawley, president of the Military Reporters and Editors.

He advises reporters to be as specific as possible when filing their FOIA requests.

“You should know exactly where to ask and what information you want to get,” he said. “It is best if you call around and find out which officers are in charge of the information you are looking for.”

The names of the chief FOIA officers for each government department and agency are available on the Justice Department’s Web site: www.usdoj.gov/oip/chieffoiaofficers.html

The Pentagon has a special Web site for its Defense Freedom of Information Policy Office: www.dod.mil/odam/DFOIPO/index.htm.

Electronic FOIA request forms and FOIA liaison officer contact information for the Pentagon is at www.dod.mil/pubs/foi/index.html.

Reports from the Defense Department’s inspector general can also be a good resource. The inspector general’s online pressroom (www.dodig.mil/pressroom.htm) has links to the most frequently requested reports, audits, and testimony, including the report on Pat Tillman’s death. –LM