How does the WV FOIA help journalists?

The West Virginia Freedom of Information Act gives anyone the right to access information from the federal government and for all persons to obtain complete information about the workings of the government and the acts of those who represent them as public officials and employees.

                In Section 29B 1-3 it discusses the rules and regulations regarding the Freedom of Information Act. The section states that anyone has the right to inspect a public record or body in the state. It also states that the request for any public record must be made directly to the “custodian,” and the request for the public record must provide reasonable opportunities for the inspection and examination in the facilities for making memos. The West Virginia FOIA also states provisions such as all requests must be made with reasonable specificity, the person making the request must be advised of the time and place of which the materials may be examined, all denial requests must be made in writing, and the public body must establish fees reasonably calculated to reimburse for the actual cost in making reproductions of such records.

                There are several pros and cons to the West Virginia Freedom of Information Act for journalists. For example, journalists are allowed to further their investigative reporting due to this specific act. Journalists can obtain any document needed to further their research for a report, but the amount of time it takes to retrieve the documents may definitely prolong the journalist’s investigation. The Freedom of Information Act requires a lot of patience and time, and depending on the particular document you are requesting,  it has the possibility to be denied several times before the actual request goes through.

                The Freedom of Information Act, in my opinion, could use a few improvements regarding the amount of exceptions that they have when it comes to releasing certain types of documents. I would also change the amount of time a FOIA request takes to be submitted, and the amount of time it takes to retrieve the document being requested for.

                I personally have not had any personal experiences regarding the Freedom of Information Act, I find the FOIA to be extremely helpful to everyone, especially journalists who are involved in investigative reporting. The FOIA is a great tool for journalists to use to get one more lead on a story that they did not have before their investigation.