Public records offer transparency to the world —transparency that holds the power to unleash untold stories, reveal suppressed foul play, or just give numerical dimensions to events and issues.

A reservoir of black and white information, public records stand as the the most reliable, and thanks to the government, can be accessed by anyone upon request. Because of the federal 1966 “Freedom of Information Act” and state-level acts such as the “Georgia Open Records Act,” government agencies (ex. boards of education) are legally bound to grant anyone access to their documents unless a judge rules otherwise.

Now, just because the law requires the agencies to walk with open books does not mean they readily obey with a smile. Often, accessing requested documents, especially about events or topics sensitive to the particular agency, prove more strenuous than exercising a right should. Today, the FOIA remains poorly upheld. Should one wait weeks or call continuously to attain record request fulfillment?

I think not, and so does Georgia’s former Attorney General Thurbert Baker, especially concerning public schools.

“Public school records lie at the critical intersection of an individual’s right to privacy and the public’s right to know. The public’s access to records comprises one of the principal safeguards ensuring the accountability of educational institutions to the public,” former Georgia Attorney General Thurbert Baker said in“A Citizen’s Guide to Accessing School Records.”

From revealing links between vaccinations and Autism influxes to proving the IRS’s questionable spending habits and any other major investigative journalism reportings, the Freedom of Information Act made it possible for the scandals to surface.

Without the FOIA and acts inspired by it,  investigative journalism would prove inherently difficult  (the importance of investigative journalism calls for another discussion). Without the FOIA, the public would lead a life in darkness.

“Press releases tell us when federal agencies do something right,” Patrick Leahy, democratic senator for Vermont, said,  “but the Freedom of Information Act lets us know when they do not.”

Keeping foul play at a minimum, an open window to government agencies’ activities balances the system. The FOIA creates an environment that cripples corruption and secrecy, giving the act its virtue and importance.

“The liberties of a people never were, nor ever will be, secure, when the transactions of their rulers may be concealed from them,” founding father of America Patrick Henry said.

When the next Gov. Christie scandal dawns on journalism’s media platforms, think about the many long days filled with unanswered emails and dead-end phone calls the journalist endured to obtain the information.  Think about the perpetuating scenario of the journalist’s overwhelming effort and the lacking effort of his counterparts—a struggle journalists and the public remain undeserving of.