FOIA Data Hackathon

The BuzzFeed Open Lab and BuzzFeed News

Update: The hackathon is full, and the wait list is already quite long, so it is unlikely that new folks will be able to join the event. However, if you add yourself to the wait list or <A TARGET="_blank" HREF="http://tinyletter.com/openlab" DATA-MSYS-CLICKTRACK="0" REL="nofollow noopener noreferrer">sign up for the Open Lab newsletter</A>, we'll be sure to let you know about future FOIA events. (You might also be interested to <A TARGET="_blank" HREF="http://www.buzzfeed.com/amandahickman/join-buzzfeed-open-lab" DATA-MSYS-CLICKTRACK="0" REL="nofollow noopener noreferrer">apply for a yearlong Open Lab fellowship</A>!)
 
 
The Freedom of Information Act is a powerful tool for citizens to keep the government accountable. But while we may know the basic contours of how the FOIA process works in theory — file a request to a government agency, wait a while, and hope for results — we know much less about how FOIA works in practice. What types of requests are most successful? Which exemptions do federal agencies rely upon most often? The unknowns are virtually infinite.
 
Want to help tackle these questions? Join the <A TARGET="_blank" HREF="http://www.buzzfeed.com/amandahickman/about-the-open-lab" DATA-MSYS-CLICKTRACK="0" REL="nofollow noopener noreferrer">BuzzFeed Open Lab for Journalism, Technology, and the Arts</A> and BuzzFeed News for a FOIA Data Hackathon on April 23, 2016 in New York City.
 
Beyond the focus on FOIA, the hackathon will be open-ended. Though many attendees will focus on data analysis, any FOIA-related project is fair game. Come with a project in mind, or come up with one on the spot. Work solo, or collaborate with a team. You can use any dataset you desire, but we’ll also provide easy access to data from the following sources:
 
<UL>
<LI>
<A TARGET="_blank" HREF="https://www.muckrock.com/" DATA-MSYS-CLICKTRACK="0" REL="nofollow noopener noreferrer">MuckRock</A>
</LI>
<LI>
<A TARGET="_blank" HREF="https://www.foiamachine.org/" DATA-MSYS-CLICKTRACK="0" REL="nofollow noopener noreferrer">FOIA Machine</A>
</LI>
<LI>
<A TARGET="_blank" HREF="https://www.ifoia.org/" DATA-MSYS-CLICKTRACK="0" REL="nofollow noopener noreferrer">iFOIA</A>
</LI>
<LI>
<A TARGET="_blank" HREF="http://www.foia.gov/" DATA-MSYS-CLICKTRACK="0" REL="nofollow noopener noreferrer">FOIA.gov</A>
</LI>
</UL>
 
FOIA enthusiasts of all stripes — journalists, programmers, designers, academics, you name it — are welcome and encouraged to attend.
 
Questions? Email jeremy.singer-vine@buzzfeed.com.
 
<H3>Schedule</H3>
<UL>
<LI>
10am–10:30am: Welcome, and overview of datasets
</LI>
<LI>
10:30am–4:00pm: Data, data, data
</LI>
<LI>
4pm–5:30pm: Presentations
</LI>
</UL>
 
Header image via <A TARGET="_blank" HREF="https://www.justice.gov/crs/crs-freedom-information-act" DATA-MSYS-CLICKTRACK="0" REL="nofollow noopener noreferrer">justice.gov</A>.

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FOIA Data Hackathon

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