How City & State Government Offices Can Scale Open Records Request Processes

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic and nationwide protests, many city and state government offices have seen a surge in open records requests. In some instances, the number of requests has doubled, and backlogged FOIA cases jumped nearly 18% in 2020 from 2019.

Emergency management, incident response, election details, program announcements, updates to transportation routes, event promotions, funding decisions, and town hall management. These are just some of the many areas of responsibility that public information officers (PIOs) can be expected to manage. No matter the government agency they work for, PIOs are essential in fostering trust between communities and the government on a federal, state, and local level.

Amidst an ever-increasing amount of misinformation, internet trolls, and open records requests, social media archiving has become an imperative for public entities and businesses.

The internet has become a breeding ground for misinformation and disinformation. According to the Pew Research Center, Americans' exposure to––and belief in––misinformation differs by the specific news outlets and the general pathways they rely on. More specifically, people who rely on social media are more prone to consuming misinformation and disinformation. 

Social media archiving is necessary for police and fire departments to comply with open record laws. It can also help facilitate crisis communication and foster organizational trust within the community.

Law enforcement agencies rely heavily on social media platforms for their public messaging.

Building trust with the general public is important for government agencies, and it is no easy task. Public information officers (PIOs) need to stay vigilant and ahead of the curve when it comes to social media use.

Operating procedures in all areas of government require a significant amount of time and resources. 

In an age where social media comments are edited and deleted in an instant, it can be difficult to monitor the flow of information. One approach to monitoring social media accounts and keeping accurate records is to manually take screenshots of the content. While the ability to screenshot information can be handy in a pinch, it doesn't suffice when it comes to the comprehensive capture and retention of your social media data. 

Some of the most fundamental qualities of effective government are transparency and trust. You’ve undoubtedly worked hard to create engaging comms and programs to serve the public and engage them in dialogue, all with the goal of building trust.