Governments hold vast records that the public paid to create. Freedom of information refers to laws and principles that give citizens and journalists the right to request and obtain government documents, subject to defined exemptions.

These statutes typically establish a process for submitting requests, timelines for agency response, and appeal mechanisms when records are withheld. Exemptions commonly cover national security, personal privacy, and deliberative materials. Journalists use the laws to obtain data, contracts, correspondence, and investigative files that officials might not release voluntarily.

Effective use requires persistence; agencies sometimes delay or over-redact. Litigation and public pressure have expanded the practical reach of the laws in many jurisdictions. Access to official records remains one of the most powerful tools for accountability reporting.

• Legal right to request government records
• Subject to statutory exemptions and process rules
• Used heavily by journalists for accountability work
• Often requires persistence and occasional litigation