Veteran journalist Miranda Spivack has spent decades reporting on state and local government, first in regional newspapers and later during a 20-year career at The Washington Post. But her new book, Backroom Deals in Our Backyards: How Government Secrecy Harms Our Communities and the Local Heroes Fighting Back, shifts the spotlight from pressrooms to ordinary citizens who’ve taken on entrenched systems of secrecy. 

The book profiles the personal accounts of five “accidental activists” (six, if you count the epilogue) from across the U.S., each fighting for information critical to their community’s safety or well-being. From a Massachusetts firefighter’s wife uncovering toxic chemicals in protective gear, to a Maryland resident campaigning for a safer intersection, to New Yorkers pushing for clean drinking water, Spivack says each of these stories reveal a common thread: a mix of bureaucratic resistance and private sector influence that keeps vital information out of public view. 

“If I was having trouble getting records as a journalist, knowing the law and having legal backup, what about regular people who only interact with government when they need help?” Spivack said. 

Patterns of secrecy 

Beginning in 2019 and conducting a vast majority of her reporting at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Spivack says that as she searched for stories, often sleuthing online in Facebook groups, she noticed a commonality across states with vastly different political identities when it came to denial tactics.

“Agencies often cited ‘trade secrets’ to block access to information,” she said.  “Private companies were frequently playing a role, with governments deferring to corporate nondisclosure agreements or confidentiality claims made without any input from the public.” 

And the problem is bipartisan. “This is an equal opportunity discriminator,” Spivack noted. “Democrats and Republicans alike are equally bad in one way or another.” 

“Accidental” activists

However, just like the agencies, Spivack also says she found similarities in her activists: persistence, coalition-building, and a willingness to learn. As she spent hours on the phone learning about their individual battles, she learned just how much they took on to fight. 

“They taught themselves to interpret complex reports and navigate legal language,” she said. “And they all used social media, especially Facebook, to connect with allies. It was like a second full-time job for each of them, really.” 

But, one key piece was often missing as she chronicled these battles (some of which took decades): the absence of local news coverage.

“Local coverage is too often absent, especially in news deserts,” she said. 

Some communities in her book saw policy shifts or safety improvements, but rarely because of sustained media attention. “Never underestimate the value of public shaming,” she added, “but it’s hard to do without local reporters.”

And the marathon continues for others, like the citizens of Uniontown, Alabama, who are fighting for clean water with a failing sewer system, who Spivack says she personally tried to connect their story to local media at no avail.

“That’s why it was important for me to highlight stories like this,” she said. “Where citizens were battling agencies they actually deal with on a day-to-day basis.” 

From stories to solutions 

To balance what she calls the “depressing” realities of her case studies, Spivack closes the book with an “Activist Playbook,” a practical guide for people facing government stonewalling. She hopes it can serve as a starting point for citizens, journalists, and advocates to be proactive before a crisis forces them into the fight. 

Her biggest takeaway? Changing laws is only part of the solution.

“We need a culture in state and local government that embraces transparency as part of serving the public,” she said. 

If you are interested in purchasing the book, you can buy both a hardback or e-copy here for $27.99. 

Posted: August 21, 2025
Category: Brechner News
Tagged as: Brechner FOI Project, Brechner Freedom of Information Project, FOI, FOIA, Government Transparency, investigative reporting, Journal of Civic Information, Miranda Spivack, open records laws, public records, Secrecy Tracker, Sunshine Week