Freedom of information guide
Ever asked yourself "How rich is that politician and who's been giving him money?"; "How do I obtain someone's criminal record legally?", "How do I do an FOI and is it really worth using it for that document?"; "What land does he own?...Well join the club! Journalists are constantly plagued by such questions! But why should we give away some of the secrets us journalists rely on to earn our meagre stipend? Isn't it a bit like giving away the family silver? Well, all Australians want to know how to find really useful information in this country and a lot of it is publicly available - often for free!
Take a look at our unique Guide to FOIs in Australia...
(Sunday would like to gratefully acknowledge the inspiration for this page. It came from a superb U.S publication "The Reporter's Handbook - An Investigator's Guide to Documents and Techniques". [Publishers: St Martin's Press Inc, NY. ISBN: 0-312-05147-6 US$24.95] Edited by John Ullman and Jan Colbert and the Investigative Reporters and Editors Inc.)
Many of Sunday's best stories result from tip-offs from our viewers. E-mail us your idea or call 02 9965 2470 ... or, to find out more about leaking a secret, click here.
