However, the backlog of requests pending grew in 1999 from 1,332 to 1,879. Simple requests at Agriculture were handled in a median of eleven days, while complex requests were handled in a median of 20 days. The Department of Transportation, meanwhile, took far longer to process requests. Its backlog of pending requests grew from 2,733 to 3.414. While at the Indian Gaming Commission, it took a median of 40 days to process a grand total of 36 requests during FY99.
Journalists work in an industry that has become increasingly time-sensitive.
As a result, long waits for information become problematic. Doyle suggests that reporters seeking information from federal agencies may be more likely to use personal contacts within agencies in order to avoid the time-consuming formal request process. We all recognize the advantages of the Internet and computer access to information. In preparing this report, I was able to read the annual FOIA reports for federal agencies. I also can find a great deal of information through government web sites.