Make FOIA Work: Participatory Design Field Guide

Can journalists employ Freedom of Information Act requests to meaningfully engage communities in dialogue about issues that matter to them? How might FOIA, data, and information connect journalists and local communities in the processes of informational gathering and news reporting, while fostering a sense of civic ownership and inclusion?

This guide is part of the Challenge Fund-funded Make FOIA Work project. It provides the techniques, methods and reflections from the project and the Participatory Methods class in the Media Design program at the Engagement Lab and Emerson College. This guide is designed for journalists, educators, students, and communities to use and follow for creating more collaborative, participatory and inclusive projects.