Freedom of information (FOI) requests can help journalists get access to sources and story leads that may be harder to access through other means of research and newsgathering.
This article from the Global Investigative Journalism Network (GIJN) written by Toby McIntosh, editor of FreedomInfo.org, a nonprofit website based in Washington, provides example of investigations that have been a product of FOI requests in different countries.
Among the stories outlined include a Reuters analysis of crime data in Sao Paulo that showed an increase in robberies involving Uber drivers, and a Bristol Cable exclusive that revealed the city's mayor had hid fracking risks from councillors and the public.
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