➤ For readers who may have missed the story, can you explain the situation briefly?
Rebecca: This story investigates five incidents where officers experienced obscure reactions to fentanyl while on the job and had to be sent to the hospital. We look at the way these officers were exposed and talked to medical experts that said these incidents shouldn't have caused an overdose, instead they believe it's a panic response.
➤ Tell us a little bit about the reporting process. How did the story come about?
Rebecca: I came across this story in December when a officer in Florida had to go to the hospital after she was exposed to fentanyl while on the job.
My editor, David Covucci, and I were talking about it and felt like there was more to the story. We sent a public records request to that station as well as others where officers were sent to the hospital after being exposed. We asked for procedure records, incident reports, and field training. We found that many places had unreliable field tests and didn't do lab test on the substances that they claim nearly killed their officers.
➤ For readers who don't know, what is the process like when obtaining these kinds of public records? Did you encounter any road blocks?
Rebecca: Every state has their own public records laws which allows anyone to send a public records request to government agencies.
Obtaining these records wasn't easy. We sent multiple requests to agencies that didn't make it in the article. Often times you have to consistently follow up with the people dealing with your request.
In one town, they denied my request, claiming that what I was asking for wasn't a public record, but it was so I had to follow up, re-explain what I was looking for, and then I got the records I needed.
In Kansas, I spent three months waiting for my request to be fulfilled. They kept pushing back the due date without explaining why. In that case I had to be patient but persistent. It was a long process but I'm glad I pushed forward and didn't give up on the story.
➤ What are some of your biggest takeaways from this?
Rebecca: My biggest takeaway is to not give up on a story. There were many times where I didn't think this story was working, or that it would happen, but my editor pushed me to keep working and I'm very proud of how it turned out.
➤ Anything else you want to share with web_crawlr readers?
Rebecca: I hope web_crawlr readers enjoy the story and take time to understand the truth and fiction behind this drug.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Keep a civil tongue.