Restricting access to home addresses in public records hinders journalists’ ability to verify facts and hold officials in positions of power accountable, according to a study in the latest edition of the Journal of Civic Information published by the Joseph L. Brechner Freedom of Information Project. 

The study, conducted by Jodie Gil of Southern Connecticut State University, surveyed 63 investigative journalists and found that 89% rely on home addresses in public records to fact-check and verify sources. Additionally, 84% use home addresses to locate sources, and some use the information for location-based reporting, such as verifying whether elected officials live in the districts they represent. 

“Policymakers need to consider the public benefits of personally identifiable information in public records before making it secret,” Gil wrote in the study. 

Despite relying on the data, most journalists reported that they rarely publish home addresses, using the information primarily for verification and reporting purposes. With lawmakers across the nation working to understand the critical balance between balance and transparency, the study highlights the vital role public records play in investigative reporting and the potential risks of limiting access. 

The latest findings build on Gil’s 2022 research on home address exemptions in public records laws, with new results warning that restrictions, such as those imposed by Daniel’s Law in New Jersey, could have unintended consequences for government transparency and accountability. 

“Of course, we all care about privacy, and there are already laws against harassment,” said David Cuillier, director of the Brechner FOI Project. “This study shows that keeping home addresses secret hurts the public, and it doesn’t really protect anyone anyway. Bad actors can get home addresses in so many other places. Secrecy only harms legitimate uses of that information. Instead, focus on punishing bad acts, not information. 

The Journal of Civic Information is an open-access online resource distributed by the Brechner FOI Project. The journal was launched in September 2017 and has published 36 studies and 20 editorials with 15,124 downloads. 

Posted: December 12, 2024
Category: Brechner News
Tagged as: Brechner Center for Freedom of Information, Brechner FOI Project, Brechner Freedom of Information Project, Government Transparency, investigative reporting, Journal of Civic Information, open records laws