The Brechner Center for Freedom of Information in Gainesville reported in 1991 that 75 percent of Florida journalists surveyed said their access to computer records had been impeded by government agencies. In addition, cost dissuaded 38 percent of responding newspapers from seeking electronic records. Certain conflicts over access to electronic records are especially common. Even obtaining copies of records in a generic format has been an issue for small news organizations unable to purchase the tapes or disks. To avoid the expense, many reporters go to agency offices to read documents.
Some agencies provide computer terminals for public use.
Others post printouts of electronic files for public inspection. Montana is among the growing number of states that are beginning to put legislative information on line with remote access over the telephone. Exemptions and Privacy Concerns Electronic records are subject to the same exemptions from disclosure under open records laws as paper records. The right of a requester to demand that information be provided as a computer printout, a computer tape, a disk, or in some other form varies by state. The format in which information is produced can render data either very useful or practically useless.