They didn't initially identify themselves, but they were journalists working on a project coordinated by the Illinois Associated Press Editors Association.
Illinois law requires public agencies to keep a list of public documents under their control.
The reporters asked to see those lists at the largest city and school district in each county, and at county government offices. They also sought minutes from the most recent city council meeting, travel vouchers from the school district superintendent and a log of prisoners in the county jail. To ensure that they would not receive favorable treatment because they represented news media, the journalists were told not to give their names unless pressed. They also were told not to reveal that they worked for news organizations and not to say why they wanted the information. State law does not require anyone seeking public information to identify themselves or explain their purpose.