It香蕉视频直播檚 begun to dawn on me recently that most people have no idea what, exactly, a reporter does.

Over and over, I香蕉视频直播檓 asked by friends how I find stories.

My usual answer is pretty useless: I try to find something out 香蕉视频直播� maybe at a city council hearing, maybe through intuition, maybe by keeping my ears open 香蕉视频直播� and then I write about it.

If I was interviewing me, I香蕉视频直播檇 roll my eyes and say: 香蕉视频直播淏ut what do you actually DO?香蕉视频直播�

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So, I香蕉视频直播檒l let you in on a key tool of the trade, and then (self-servingly) show you how you can put it to use.

You may have heard of this 香蕉视频直播渇reedom of information香蕉视频直播� thing. Basically, every government 香蕉视频直播� local, provincial and national 香蕉视频直播� has some law requiring certain information to be accessed by the public.

That info is often public in name only 香蕉视频直播� most of it can香蕉视频直播檛 be found online or in easily accessible records.

Part of that is for good reason: There is an ocean of stuff that would swamp computer servers, and many of the public records must first be scoured so that private information remains private. Partly, it香蕉视频直播檚 also that governments don香蕉视频直播檛 really want all that stuff out there.

Now, the federal government is subject to its law that is a nightmare to navigate. The Liberals promised to improve it. They haven香蕉视频直播檛. So let香蕉视频直播檚 shake our fists in Ottawa香蕉视频直播檚 direction and skip that whole nightmare for now.

The provincial Freedom of Information law isn香蕉视频直播檛 perfect. Public bodies routinely abuse exceptions for 香蕉视频直播減rivate香蕉视频直播� information, business interests and staff advice, but it香蕉视频直播檚 markedly better than the feds. In addition to the B.C. government, the law also governs cities, health bodies and municipal police forces.

And here香蕉视频直播檚 the kicker: There香蕉视频直播檚 no fee to ask. You can fire up your email right now and ask for some good old public information.

Now, you might not get it. In fact, you probably won香蕉视频直播檛 because of those aforementioned exceptions. And you may also eventually be asked to pay, if the governmental body in question says that fulfilling your request will take too much time.

But that doesn香蕉视频直播檛 mean a reporter 香蕉视频直播� or citizen 香蕉视频直播� can香蕉视频直播檛 try.

Last year, the friend of a couple who got T-boned wondered how many other people have been injured in similar crashes. They sent in an FOI request and found revealing statistics that provided ammunition for their argument that changes are needed in the area.

You don香蕉视频直播檛 have to use fancy questions, and you can ask for a whole range of information. You can request emails between public officials about a certain subject. You can ask for statistics. And you can ask to see any reports that government generates but never shares with the public. Some may even be marked 香蕉视频直播渃onfidential.香蕉视频直播�

Over the years, I香蕉视频直播檝e learned a lot from such requests. But I香蕉视频直播檝e only scratched the surface. If you turn up something, let your friendly local reporter know (click that 香蕉视频直播淐ontact香蕉视频直播� button at the top of this page).

Email your FOI requests for the provincial government to FOI.Requests@gov.bc.ca. To find where to send requests for your municipality, school district, police department, health authority or university, type the public body香蕉视频直播檚 name into Google and add 香蕉视频直播渇reedom of information.香蕉视频直播� While some bodies may have forms to fill out, your request should be handled if you just email the organization in question.

Tyler Olsen is a reporter at the Abbotsford News