Guide to using public records laws to cover stories of interest to your community.
Tag: Access guides
How to access the information you need to cover mental illness at your school
Editor's note: This story provides tips for finding information about mental health in schools. For guidance on ethical considerations while covering these stories, please consult National Alliance on Mental Illness or Active Minds. For legal considerations, contact SPLC's legal hotline. Mental illnesses such as anxiety and depression are rising among teenagers. According to Active Minds,… Continue reading How to access the information you need to cover mental illness at your school
Student media guide to the Clery Act
Frequently asked questions about the federal campus crime reporting law.
Access to student government meetings and information
A state-by-state guide to your legal right to attend student government meetings.
Freedom of Information FAQs
The Student Press Law Center answers your most frequently asked questions about open records and open meetings.
Access to college and university athletic program information
As college athletics become an ever-bigger enterprise at many schools, the student media has an ever-growing obligation to monitor their programs. The following guide should provide you with valuable tools for obtaining the information you need to do your job.
DIY: 10-step guide to auditing your school’s compliance with the Clery Act
How well does your school comply with the Clery Act? We've assembled this guide to help you find out. In it are instructions, sample records requests and a checklist of basic requirements your school should be meeting.
Student media guide to news gathering
Learn what the law says about where you can go and what you can do to gather news.
Access to university foundation records
Whether university foundations are extensions of public colleges and universities — and therefore subject to state open record laws — or more similar to private, non-profit corporations (which are not subject to these laws) is a hotly contested issue.
Access to faculty and other state employee evaluations
A guide to state public record laws regarding the disclosure of faculty or other school employee evaluations.