Public Access Laws_Matt Doig

Matt Doig is an Investigative Reporter with the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. While pondering what Matt had spoken about, I decided to do some research using the internet. I clicked upon an interview conducted between Matt and Brooke Gladstone with On the Media, and it surprisingly was an interview about public records.

Doig spoke about an undercover audit that he and his colleague, Chris Davis, had completed. Doig and Davis had continued to experience multiple roadblocks while trying to access public records. They had discussed the topic of an audit for quit some time and they were finally disgusted.

The public records law states that every person can get public records with some exemptions, and it is their Constitutional right. Chapter 119, Florida Statutes, is commonly known as Florida's "Public Records Law," which provides information on public records in Florida including: policies, definitions, exemptions, general information on records access, inspection, examination and duplication of records. Keeping Florida’s government open is mediated by the Attorney General’s Office.

Doig and many other reporters played the role as regular citizens asking for public records. They were to maintain anonymous, “the law gives you anonymity,” Doig stated. Out of the 234 various local agencies in almost all state’s counties, they found only 57 percent were in compliance with the laws of public access.

One story in particular that Doig spoke about during the interview with Gladstone was about a volunteer asking for emails in Broward County. Doig said that the man from Broward County had made threats to the volunteer. The man actually told the volunteer that he could make life difficult, required the person’s name and then contacted him by phone leaving messages saying he could find them.

The interview was conducted in February 2004, shortly after the undercover audit, and one reason many agencies denied the public records requests was because of the September 11th terrorist attach. Doig confronted those individuals in particular and found that it was just an excuse to not give up information. Doig argued that terrorist wouldn’t find use for cell phone bills to help in committing an attack.

The interview ended with closing remarks. Since 1909 the public records law has been written into the Florida Constitution. It’s clear what the laws are, and EVERY person is allowed to access public records.