How to turn FOIA requests into investigative scoops

Chris Coates, senior director, local news for Lee Enterprises

Samuel treats public records like a roadmap — and he never misses a turn. His relentless digging and sharp eye for inconsistencies routinely expose the kinds of misspending and mismanagement that thrive in the shadows. Few reporters can turn a stack of documents into a story with such clarity and impact.”

Encarnacion Pyle, executive editor, Richmond Times-Dispatch

When I was executive editor of the Richmond Times-Dispatch, I’d often overhear government reporter Samuel B. Parker, phone pressed to his ear, deep in conversation with an official about the intricacies of a records request or a blown deadline. Those snippets hinted at what Parker was pursuing and showcased his remarkable ability to turn public records into high-impact journalism. 

To say he has been prolific is an understatement. 

Since his promotion from copyeditor three years ago, Parker, now 28, has delivered a stream of investigative scoops. He revealed $5 million in dubious purchases made through Richmond’s employee credit card program, missed asbestos inspections in public schools, campaign finance irregularities, alarming tax billing mistakes and profound vulnerabilities in the municipal water network. He’s also exposed widespread misspending and a lack of transparency among various institutions, prompting reforms and policy changes. 

Such tenacious work earned Parker the Open Government Award from the Virginia Coalition for Open Government and the Award for Public Service Through Investigative Journalism from the civic group Richmond First. In April, the Virginia Press Association named him the 2025 Outstanding Young Journalist, with the judges noting: “If Parker is this much of a public records whiz at such a young age, Virginia elected officials will be quaking at his name for decades.”

I’m now senior director, local news for Times-Dispatch parent company Lee Enterprises, and I asked Parker about his strategies — and what other journalists can learn:

First, harness FOIA as a routine tool. Parker has made FOIA requests part of his routine as a government reporter, approaching nearly every story by asking what internal documents, emails, text messages and other materials he might obtain. 

Not every records request produces a story, but even dead ends can lead to new questions. “So, the way I look at it is, if I submit five to 10 over the course of the week, they're all going to come back,” Parker said. “And I’ll have a story almost every day from something I started working on yesterday that’s going to be unique to us.”

Be firm, but polite. Parker knows public information and FOIA officers. On the phone with a source, he can sometimes resemble a shark circling the water, but he’s also unfailingly polite. “When you are just direct with people and not rude, but you are honest, it’s hard for them not to respect that, even if they disagree,” he said. 

Another crucial component of Parker’s approach is finding the people affected by what he’s writing about. He knocks on doors, talks to neighbors and chases leads. He also carefully tracks responses and deadlines. The most challenging part, he says, is turning all that material into a focused, compelling story. 

Finally, stay persistent and curious.

Richmond Times-Dispatch Executive Editor Encarnacion Pyle, an accomplished watchdog journalist in her own right, called Parker’s reporting “fearless, meticulous and uncompromising.” 

“Samuel treats public records like a roadmap — and he never misses a turn. His relentless digging and sharp eye for inconsistencies routinely expose the kinds of misspending and mismanagement that thrive in the shadows,” she said. “Few reporters can turn a stack of documents into a story with such clarity and impact.” That might be the biggest lesson of all: Parker not only knows how to do accountability journalism, but also understands why it matters. 

“There’s no end to what you can learn,” he says, “and what it reveals.” 

Chris Coates is a senior director, local news for Lee Enterprises. Over the course of his career, he’s worked as a journalist in Virginia, Illinois, Delaware, Iowa and California.