Farhad Manjoo - "True Enough"

Farhad Manjoo’s book “True Enough” details how the world perceives and dissects news. Interestingly enough, Manjoo illustrates how people see and manipulate news.

Two concepts that most intrigued me during the reading were selective exposure and selective perception. According to Manjoo, selective exposure involves choosing sources of information through preexisting biases and selective perception is when two people of opposing ideologies overcome their tendency towards selective exposure and choose to watch the same thing. Although, the individuals involved may still end up being pushed apart.

A prime example of selective exposure is comparing the coverage of Fox News to CNN’s about whether relief, in forms of medicine, food and money should be sent to Haiti. During the time of the Haiti earthquake, massive donation telethons and websites were pushed in the face of viewers on CNN’s coverage. CNN even hosted special segments, sending down Dr. Sanjay Gupta (who is also a medical reporter) to advertise the need for help and assistance in Haiti. Break downs of where the money was going and what charities are actually spending the money on was presented. However, when flipping to Fox News coverage, the amount of persuasive support was diminutive compared to CNN’s. Reports on the affect the earthquake had on citizens and what their lives will be like now were conveyed to audiences. More reports on actual damage and less on donation were noticeably present.

After jotting notes about the coverage for about two weeks and applying the Manjoo reading to my observations, I was now clearly able to tell the difference and range of opinions that make Fox News a right-wing channel and CNN a left-winger. Typically, liberals are willing to “extend a hand” and do affectionately care for the health and economic entities of other countries. Conservatives; however, are seen as brass and usually take pride in supporting domestic ventures and ideas. The fact that CNN’s coverage was clearly attempting to support and help Haiti earthquake victims while Fox News reported the affects as hard news makes a transparent connection to why left-winged thinkers have a bias to watch CNN and right-winged thinkers enjoy watching Fox News. In my opinion, selective exposure is one limiting reason why liberals and conservatives rarely agree on things.

An example of selective perception is the recent court rulings whether animal cruelty videos should be allowed to be broadcast. There are many opinions on this matter, between free speech advocates animal rights groups. The issue at hand was decided by the Supreme Court, striking down a federal ban on animal cruelty videos. Now although both sides, free speech advocates and animal rights group, see the disturbing nature of these acts, the difference in effort was whether the law goes too far. Initially, the law was created to ban “crush videos.” Crush videos are a type of fetish taping showing women smashing small animals with their feet or heels.

In 1999, the law was enacted, and the “crush videos” stop circulating. However, when an individual decided to shoot a documentary on dogfights, and show it to the public, he was indicted and sentenced to three years in jail. The selective perception idea behind this ruling, is that both groups, free speech and animal rights, overcame their biases for the humanity of animals and see the importance in protecting the rights of animals, although they distanced themselves on the issue of media broadcast. The animal rights groups still see the videos as inhumane and obscene for air and the free speech groups are selectively fighting for 1^st amendment rights. It’s interesting to see how an issue, which has both sides caring for and adoring, can still separate one another for opinions that are divided from the big picture, humanity towards animals.

A fine, short example of selective exposure that recently occurred in Florida deals with the homeless. Spurred by hate-crimes against the homeless, Florida lawmakers voted to give the homeless added protections. The exposure part of this issue came in the arguing statements of a Punta Gorda legislative representative and a Coral Springs legislative representative. Punta Gorda rep says, the homeless are “bums” and they deserve no more protection than ordinary people walking down the street. The Coral Springs rep says, “Nobody is more vulnerable…They have no place to retreat to.”

After researching the statistics on the number of homeless living in the counties of Punta Gorda and Coral Springs, I found that Punta Gorda has drastically different and lower numbers than Coral Springs. Charlotte county, where Punta Gorda is only has 730 homeless, while Broward county, where Coral Springs is, has over 5,000 homeless. Because the representative and other citizens of Punta Gorda may see less homeless, they don’t welcome them into their community or see any reason why they deserve additional protections. The community of Coral Springs sees the need to protect these homeless individuals because they are a part of the community and may have an effect on society. The exposure to the actual individuals has created the opinions of each community.

In all of my courses I’ve taken in high school, college and other educational programs, “True Enough” has been the most interesting. Although I was skeptical of Manjoo, because he writes for a left-wing blog, his ideas and examples seem to show no bias. The book has made an impact on me, how I watch news and how I watch other people watching news. Manjoo’s expertise has allowed me to decipher what is being said and for what reason.

Trial/Courthouse Blog

During the second week of April I visited the Hillsborough County Court house. I was able to take in the surrounding action, search documents for my profile (Ronda Storms) and sit in trial proceedings.

One of the first things I took note of at the courthouse was how empty it was. I showed up around ten a.m., thinking that by mid-morning all of the family/child support and traffic violation lines would be packed. I was wrong, and at least now I know when to recommend people to go pay their tickets.

After walking around the place I saw the people serving jury duty, they sure did look pale and haggard. With those looks, all I could think about was ways to get out of jury duty … I’m pretty sure being a student or claiming a medical profession works. Throughout my walk, I also observed that there were very few attorneys and bailiffs walking around. Wasn’t sure if that had to do with the proceedings of the day, just the lack of business in the courts or because of what Pat Frank recently said, stating that she may have to start cutting her staff.

Once my tour was over I went ahead and visited the case file viewing area. Here, I was able to look up Ronda Storms case action and one case I was interested in particularly. Storms, a Republican conservative, has fought quite hard on cases dealing with pornography and gay rights and her case against Joe Redner, owner of the well-known Tampa strip club Mons Venus, was the case I was keying in on. I also searched the felony section of the Clerk of Courts department and found nothing on Storms.

Lastly, I was able to sit in during four court proceedings. What I found interesting, although these are minor crimes, was that more women were being tried for drug trafficking then the men in the room. As a whole, there were probably 15 men and 15 women being tried. Of the four cases I saw before “break,” three of them had to do with women carrying, selling or distributing marijuana. This appeared odd to me, honestly, the world typically see’s a gangster-looking African American or a wealthy-cocky Caucasian kid as a drug trafficker, not women in their mid-20’s who have some looks. The fourth case actually rattled me. An individual, who previously had been arrested for carrying an illegal firearm and being an accomplice in a murder, was being tried for armed robbery. The fact that I was sitting in the same courtroom as a “killer” amazed me. It just put it into perspective, that people who are committing these crazy acts of violence walk the same streets and drive their cars the same place we do.

Public Meeting Two - Tampa Architectural Review Commision

On April 5^th I was fortunate enough to attend the city of Tampa’s public hearing for the architectural review commission. Now although I have little curiosity for architecture and construction, I figured the meeting would spur interest. Boy, was I wrong.

The meeting was quite tedious and boring; however, it was run effectively under a tight ship. There was all the regular public meeting criteria: a call to order, reading of the minutes (always moved to be accepted) and announcements, but structural, the board of commissioner’s exemplified full control.

Being taped and recorded, commissioners did not tend to speak out of turn and when they had questions, they respectfully asked them.

Individuals who represented themselves to the commissioners were quite detailed and had maps, drawings and pictures of the locations or houses they are trying to alter. There were about 6 cases presented , all in through detail.

The commissioners showed great concern of the public’s needs and worries. In one case, an individual needed parking, and the demolition of an accessory structure at their house was needed to build a new one. It may seem odd to have to ask for permission to destroy something on your own property but the city of Tampa remains in full control when a person is attempting to build a structure in city owned land. Thus, after questioning occurred between the women’s agent and the board, a decision was made.

To me, the pictures and diagrams were interesting as well as finding out what parts of Tampa a person would need to seek approval in for a structural change. Who knew that in Hyde Park, Tampa Heights or even Seminole Heights that a person with money or little money would have to go in front of the board of commissioners and have their request assessed.

Public Meeting One - Mayor Iorio/TECO

On March 25^th I was fortunate enough to attend a public meeting between Mayor Pam Iorio and the TECO Energy Conservation Task Force.

As the public meeting began, and as the Florida handbook identifies, an open-door policy was enacted as well as having a conference room recorder record the dialogue of the meeting. Funny thing is Mayor Iorio was the one who said, “Do we have the sunshine covered?”

The meeting was led by Tom Snelling, Tampa’s Deputy Director/Green Officer of growth management and services, with a PowerPoint presentation followed by interaction between the task force, a TECO representative and the Mayor.

The point of the TECO Energy Conservation Task Force was to analyze current efforts TECO is making to promote going green, having sustainable energy and what rebates or financial incentives TECO is offering their customers. Recommendations for these efforts were then created by the Task Force.

The issue of education and communication was the most thoroughly discussed topic. Prompting consumer awareness and participation were main components of the dialogue.

Whether it was a reporter, environmental activist or home/factory builder, the idea of marketing to a segmented, target audience became the mechanism needed to satisfy the Task Force’s goal of educating the public about what incentives and innovative technologies TECO has to offer and how it can be put in your home.

Mayor Iorio’s response to that suggestion was whether or not to target people who use lots of power and typically don’t change their ways or the homes that use little power, and somewhat leave only a “small footprint” in the big picture. She followed up by asking the TECO representative if TECO has any commitment to funding this type of market research as well as offering services to their customers that showcase how to lower your bills and be more visible in the community.

In response, the TECO representative (who apparently was sitting in for someone that day) could only say that TECO already has a marketing program and they have not set aside any resources to contribute to the education funding.

This became somewhat of a sour meeting because of that and to the fact that no executive from TECO actually came to the meeting. The Task Force had already been working on this project for one year and this was supposed to be the Final Project meeting; however, Mayor Iorio decided to ask the members back for another session once she speaks with TECO officials.

Overall, it was interesting to sit in such a small room, the Mayor’s conference room, and interact with her, highly educated individuals as well as experts, and community representatives. I took pride in covering this event and Mayor Iorio specifically thanked us, the public/students, for attending.

Hillsborough County Medical Examiner - Dr. Vern Adams

Although you’d say the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner isn’t quite a lively place, there sure is some thrill when walking in.

The Hillsborough County Medical Examiner looks similar to a hospital lab, except for the part where bodies are laying face down on autopsy tables. But before we get to that, Dr. Vern Adams, Chief Medical Examiner gave a detailed account about what type of documents are held at the office, which aren’t and other details of the lab.

The 1-year-old office, located on N. 46^th street and eerily close to campus, is responsible for autopsies, determining the cause of death, establishing evidence for crime cases, documenting undiagnosed diseases and disposing unclaimed bodies.

HCME has nine forensic investigators performing nearly 1,200 autopsies per year and has the capability to hold 400 bodies on-site.

The office works hand-in-hand with the public, and their request for particular documents; however, some forms are not available. “Everything in a case file is public,” said Dr. Adams, all autopsy reports, external examinations by doctors, transmittal sheets/evidence, correspondence from attorneys and meetings with family are public. Although, if the death is still in an active criminal case, the documents found in the public file will not be made public. HIV test results and records from hospitals and nursing homes are exceptions as well.

A big plus, noted by many students, was the fact that if a person sends in a pre-addressed envelope to HCME with a public records request, HCME will send out all the documents available at no charge. That sure beats 15 cents a page!

HCME also produces death certificates for all of the bodies brought in, yet the medical portion of the certificate is not a public record. The autopsy report is.

Questions regarding photos and videos of death cases were covered by Dr. Adams as well. According to Dr. Adams, the Dale Earnhart Act, an emotional-driven, bad law, gives the next of kin the property right to photos and videos in death cases. Everyone else needs a court order. Thus, autopsy photos are not public, but more importantly, scene photos are.

I learned a great deal about what actually goes on at a medical examiner’s office and why they perform what they do, medically and constitutionally. This field trip, in my opinion, has been the most interesting … how many people can say they walked happily into a dead man’s office.

Hillsborough County Court

Imagine a world that didn’t have courts to settle criminal or civil disputes. What would people end up doing? Loitering, stealing and committing felonies?

This parable could become an actualization. Due to the recession, the Hillsborough county court office may be closing to survive budget cuts.

After already facing cuts that left 1 in 8 employees without a job, slashing retained employee salaries and closing down one branch (Floriland mall) legislature is asking for another 8% cut in total budget.

Clerk of the Circuit Courts and Chief Financial Officer for Hillsborough County Pat Frank plans to argue with legislatures over the fee they are requesting. Frank said, “I don’t want to put any more people on the street.”

Also because of the recession, there has been more of a demand on the clerk’s office. More foreclosures, violence and petty theft cases are occurring, from about 3,000 in past years to 22,000 cases now.

These cases place a burden on the clerks. Clerks tediously prepare dockets and documents for the judge to review; however, facing budget cuts, the Hillsborough county office can’t afford to hire more clerks to relieve the strain on these employees.

Although the office is facing tough times, they still keep the public records and evidence in all cases. Official records (OR) and any record, in line with state statute, can be found at the clerk’s office. Felony records are kept for 75 years while juvenile records are kept forever. DNA, tires and bloody fingers are all types of evidence the office maintains as well.

On a tour of the courthouse, guided by Dana Laranante, particular courts and public record request departments were made known. Laranante instructed users on how to look up and case and distinguish the type of case it is, the case number, the court date and any updating status.

One of the differences I noticed on this tour was the lack of bailiffs on duty in the corridors, being that there are committed felons walking around, and how that “certified” copies of requested documents are $1 a page, which is awfully ridiculous.

Hopefully with those $1 a page requests and public support, the court house won’t have to close down.

http://www.hillsclerk.com/publicweb/home.aspx

Steve Andrews - WFLA Investigative Reporter

Being respectful and logical are key components to being a top notch reporter.

Steve Andrews, News Channel 8 Investigative Reporter, established the need for future reporters to be polite when investigating persons of interest but to also be logical when determining what the next step needs to be to carry on the story.

Andrews, a reporter with other 25 years of experience, believes in the importance of tenacity in an individual as well as their listening instincts, to flip tips and calls, will determine how successful they are in uncovering data that needs to be reported.

It’s essential to be prepared, says Andrews. He recommends at least having three questions prepared when you approach someone that you want answered. Knowing the rules and regulations of the establishment or person in question is vital to understanding what to ask for as well.

Andrews says basic investigative work is just calling people. However, to get better, you must comb through, tediously, public records. Thinking that public records are only documents limits you as a reporter too. Andrews has been able to use photos and videos that were used by contractors but paid for with public spending to uncover truths. Although the video Andrews viewed was over ten hours long, finding the ten second clip that portrays the exact and conclusive details is gold.

The word “You” is thought to have the best resonating power in news reporting. Andrews knows the reporting is where the money is and says, when you say YOU paid for it this… or YOUr money bought them… while reporting, the people listening form a wall between themselves and that individual and see them as a crook, a bad guy. And that’s what we are trying to uncover.

The importance of silence within a news report was also introduced by Andrews. Silence is golden, says Andrews. Having an image on the screen but no noise allows the viewer to boldly understand what is taking place action wise or legally speaking.

Andrews has done cream of the crop reporting in Tampa for years. His tips and guidance to being a good reporter and using what public records are available is imperative when performing investigative work.

William "Windy" March - Chief Political Reporter (Tampa Tribune)

Websites and technology has amplified the amount of public records an individual can access. Although a key to great reporting is going out in the field and checking the details for yourself.

The longest standing political reporter in Tampa, William “Windy” March, discussed in length the importance of research and becoming an information entrepreneur as a reporter. March deals with campaign finance and disclosure reports. He investigates elements of these reports that may be a violation to federal or state laws.

When conversing about a report he created that ended up convicting and sentencing a law violator to jail, March explained how to find particular campaign finance records. Although these outlets provide the information you desire, March says that the documents are written so carefully and are so detailed that they are not easily able to be combed through.

Thus, becoming an information entrepreneur will help a person succeed as a reporter. An information entrepreneur scans and searches websites and newspaper clipping for tips and/or the exact information they need. Being able to research public records without leaving your desk and getting the background information on suspects only helps and supports your ability to write a detailed report or hold a better interview.

In the case of March’s report, he was able to do all the background work from his desk and then go out into the field, Miami, and try to locate the violating business and associates. Having the proper information prior to going out in the field is invaluable because, as March said, when you approach a person and know more about what’s going on than they do, they won’t be willing to talk and they somewhat convict themselves.

Getting out in the field, and even getting “no comment” responses still enables a reporter to say they made the effort to talk to the individual and it also goes documented in case a detail as such is needed in court.

March provided websites and links for us to look over when searching for campaign finance and disclosure records; however, I believe his statement to become an information/research entrepreneur as a reporter establishes a stronger, fundamental backing.

Preston Trigg - Hillsborough County Tax Collector

Knowing where to look for information as well as understanding what type of material a reporter can access is effective when performing investigative research.

Preston Trigg, currently the Hillsborough County Tax Collector and Director of Administrative and Special Projects, gave a lecture on the diverse jobs and duties he is in charge of. Trigg was formerly an investigative reporter for the Tampa Tribune and provided extended insight into the types of records available, exemptions and some tricks of the trade when investigating.

Trigg established that there is a wealth of public records available from his office. Tax records, although there is an urge to privatize them, limiting public access, are available. Whether it’s a property, business or non-privacy part of motor vehicle record for an individual, they are open to the public and obtainable through Triggs office.

A database on hillstax.org, a website ran by Triggs office, allows a person to search another individual about whether or not they paid their taxes, how much their property is worth (taxable value) and where their property is.

Any person can make a public records request. They can do so without providing a name or reason. As well, public record certified copies can be made for only 15 cents a page and if that ends up being too much money, an agency cannot deny an individual access to simply look at the record and take notes.

Although there are privacy concerns with websites like this, Triggs stated the importance of openness and transparency with government. As a constitutional officer, Triggs believes that the biggest threat to individuals is secrecy by the government, it leads to tyranny.

However, there are exemptions to particular public record requests. School records, proprietary records and most records involving juveniles are a few of the exemptions.

Some tricks of the trade Triggs left us with as an investigative reporter were to always, ALWAYS follow the money and always, ALWAYS check it out … for yourself.

Triggs orientation about his profession, what public records are available from his office and how an investigative reporter should go about searching records is invaluable information.

http://hillstax.org/

Hillsborough County Jail

The Hillsborough County Jail off Orient road doesn’t simply just book the “bad” guys. The jail has created multiple intelligence facets that help control, monitor and regulate behavior and access.

Typically, an arrested individual stays at Orient road for under 30 days, however, with courts and other major cases taking up room on court docket, the jail must have several types of housing and supervision for the different types of individuals.

Jail cells aren’t seen as comfortable or homely, but the HCJ has created cells that convey a more social atmosphere. The jail is made up of pods that are broken down into either dormitory style living or confinement. The dorm-style living offers inmates a chance to socialize with others, play hoops or just hang out in and around their cell. Confinement is the bad subdivision, making inmates stay in lockdown for 23 hours of the day.

However, the jail pods have kiosks in them, providing insight to jail news for the inmates. The jail has done a fine job keeping inmates updated with jail minutes, menus, court dates and visitation hours. The kiosk is also a technological step up from the past which involved bugging the deputy on-call.

The jail offers three types of supervision as well. Linear vision, a deputy walks along a line of cells. This form is not good for the safety of cell mates because a deputy can only see what’s going on inside the cell when he or she walks in front of it. Remote vision, a deputy is stationed in an overlooking glass bubble. This form causes problems because deputies can not intervene rapidly with inmates if there was a skirmish. Direct vision, a deputy is in and around the cells 24hours/7days a week. This form allows deputies to walk around and get to know the inmates, establishing a comfort level with the group.

HCJ also provides educational and vocational classes to inmates. Providing computers and internet access to the individuals allows them to keep up with the times and learn.

The jail also has a records request center. This center keeps the records of all inmates until the person is moved or the case is closed. What’s important to note is that if a case is still open, access to all of the records is denied. As well, the HCJ website can inform you what type of file is available, a direct file or warrant or an on scene file or probable cause. The website helps determine if a trip down to the jail is needed.

The HCJ was interesting place to visit, especially, that being my first time in a jail. It appears that the jail is very well maintained and supervised as well as cordial when asked for information.

Larry McKinnon - PIO / 911 Call Center

Technology has effectively changed the way the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s office (HCSO) manages cases and data entry/storage.

During our visit with HCSO public information officer (PIO) Larry McKinnon, he established the importance of becoming an environmentally-friendly agency as well as providing as much access, as needed, to the public and media.

Rather than having boxes and boxes of case files, the HSCO has begun writing and sending reports electronically. Allowing officers to enter data and fill reports from their portable computers stationed in their cars or on the streets. Economically speaking, the HSCO is saving $40,000 a year going without a paper trail and have increased their amount of scanning documents to PDF files and shredding copies.

Mr. McKinnon said it’s also important to have transparency between government and the media. A positive relationship between the two is a bridge of communication, allowing important stories to be dissected by reporters and the not-so important cases to keep in-house.

The HCSO has even created their own YouTube video page, showing full speeches and raw footage of officers and officials on duty. This creation in itself has made the HSCO agency its own media outlet. Almost forgoing reporters, the HSCO has established a way of getting the “correct” information out to the public, rather than from a reporter quoting witnesses or taking portions of speeches out of context.

McKinnon reiterated that it’s important to have solid communication between himself, a PIO, and the media. The media can either make the agency look really good, or really bad and its McKinnon’s job to protect the agency. Whether or not he shares information on a case ultimately reflects how the reporter writes up the story and the angle he/she takes. Thus, being translucent with the media helps facilitate a positive relationship between the HSCO and media outlets.

A visit to the HSCO 911 Call Center also opened my eyes to a new array of communication skills and tactics. Over 1.5M calls are answered by the agency each year. That amount is absurd, and the majority of the time, the calls are overreactions or need to be directed to a fire or medical service.

What I took from the 911 Call Center was that although technology has enabled this branch of the agency to keep up, using pinpoint maps and specialized computer programs, it’s about the people who take the calls.

The individuals who listen to people call in to tell them they are committing suicide or listening to a sheriff stand-off are strong-hearted individuals that are calm under pressure. These people are “life savers” and can do more for the agency in preventing harm and stopping obstruction than a typical person may think.

In all, visiting the HSCO brought to my attention the importance of the agency as a media outlet and as a center of safety and control. The people who work at the HSCO are positively contributing to society in more ways than just throwing the bad guys away.

Chris Davis-Investigative Reporter/Data Specialist

Rather than scoping a single event, the ability to look widespread, combine and condense data potentially may lead to significant findings and overall, a better report.

Chris Davis, an investigative reporter for the Sarasota Herald Tribune, who specializes in data-base research, has identified that by selecting a single topic and collecting numerous amounts of data in a selected range can lead to common identification. The accumulation of data not only makes the reader or viewer pause in their tracks, but also makes the information more prevalent and urgent.

When performing data base research for a journalistic report, Davis recommends gathering as much as information as you can, whether it may substantially apply to your report or not. This is important because the data gathered that may not contribute to the scope of the study may be used in maps, pie graphs, and even virtual animations.

Collecting data for reporting may also lead to legal action. If an individual is able to gather enough evidence for or against a case, the report itself may stand as a significant document in the judicial process. “Bad guys” may be identified through data collection and may show links to other cases, instances or individuals. When the amount of data is significant, such as a five hundred sample size, exact examples may be easier to select due to the small margin of error.

Personally, having a science background and growing up dabbling in science research for over five years, the importance of immense data collection is key when attempting to report or identify a proof or conclusion. The fact that data collection increases the reliability of a report only makes a reporter more versed and educated in that field. Also, a data-based report is more accurate than a single case and may be linked back to years of information and cases that went undiscovered.

Cheryl McCoy - Florida Public Record Resources

After sitting through a tedious instructional video on Florida public record resources, and then reexamining the same material with the composer, I was able to determine one thing.

Physically being able to follow along with Mrs. Cheryl McCoy noticeable made the information more impactful.

Mrs. McCoy is the coordinator for general collections as well as government documents for the University of South Florida (USF) Tampa campus library. Rather than just watching a video and taking note on which references and sources during our first attempt to meet, McCoy walked through an entire listing guide of beneficial, public record search engines that she put together.

Interestingly enough, Mccoy discussed the availability of records and why some information is presented on one form but maybe not another. A prime example of document information availability is the USF budget, online versus hard copy. Online, the budget is simply stated for each department; however, if an individual was to go to USF Human Resources and ask for the budget, they would get a print out breaking down each individual employee’s salary and benefits, along with the originally stated department budgets.

Where to find Florida law updates and links to government challenges was also displayed by Mrs. McCoy. This type of information is crucial when keeping up with open government issues and changes within state law. Mrs. McCoy also discussed Joe Adams website, idiganswers.com, in detail. This website provides links to local newspaper outlets throughout the state of Florida as well as what current actions legislators are taking.

Websites dealing with property information, vital health records and any legal suit brought for or against an individual was also showcased in Mrs. McCoy’s demonstration. When searching for personal information, for a background check or project, these websites provide outstanding detail with ease. Although in some particular cases, such as medical records or performance evaluations, the wanted information will not be given.

Mrs. McCoy’s session was educational and insightful. Additionally, the guide Mrs. McCoy has provided is an excellent launching pad for Florida public record searches.

Currently, the guide can be found at USF libraries website.

Tim Nickens - Public Record

Who knew so many types of records are available for the public. Editorial page editor, Tim Nickens briefed class on why public records are public and what determines whether or not a document is public. An important concept to understand when evaluating why we examine public records is that when a document becomes public, whether it's notes or a recording, they help keep a checks and balance system, particularly between public money and elected officials actions. What's interesting is the definition of a public meeting varies. In the state of Florida, if more than two people converse about legislative action, the meeting is deemed public, although it's loosely regulated. In numerous other states, a third party must be present to qualify a meeting a public. Also, since the state of Florida has had quite aggressive newspapers from the 60’s and 70’s, enlightened governors and interesting secret cases, more and more public records have been opened up with the likelihood of this tread to continuing Technology has even altered the way public documents work. Texts and emails are public, if they contain public affairs problems, however, since there is no paper-trail or electric record kept for IM's and BlackBerry's, they are categorized as non-public.

Looking to provide reporter's assistance, Nickens has become a trustee of the First Amendment Foundation, which helps reporters cover the costs of court case records. Also, Nickens and his staff developed a claims database, Politifact, providing an objective source of information using public record. Politifact is an organized, disciplined way to analyze claims made my politicians and from what we were told, many news outlets will be providing access across the country to sites similar to Politifact. The short lecture on public record was quite interesting, especially learning what is and is not public, and how technology is evolving the way we source documents.