Opinion ID: 1875561
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Nature of the Information

Text: Turning to the first prong of our inquiry, we must take into account the nature of the information which is the subject of the requested disclosure; whether it is the type of information about which the public would have little or no legitimate interest but which would likely cause serious personal embarrassment or humiliation. Palmer v. Driggers, 60 S.W.3d 591, 598 (Ky.App.2001). We consider not only the privacy interests of the parties to the Open Records request, but also of persons who would be substantially affected by the disclosure. Beckham v. Board of Educ. of Jefferson County, 873 S.W.2d 575, 578 (Ky.1994). We look for an indication that the information touches upon the personal features of private lives. Zink v. Dep't of Workers' Claims, 902 S.W.2d 825, 828 (Ky.App.1994). Here, the Courier-Journal seeks the identity of each donor to the Foundation, that person's address, the amount of the donation, and any conditions placed upon the gift. We have previously noted that one's home address and telephone number are generally accepted by society as details in which an individual has at least some expectation of privacy[,] notwithstanding that this information is normally available to the public through other sources. Zink, id. at 828. Even more private is the amount of the donation and the circumstances under which the gift was made. It is a widely held societal belief that matters of personal finance are intensely private and closely guarded. Zink, id. at 829. ([F]ew things in our society are deemed of a more intimate nature than one's income.). Though not as intimate as one's income, the decision to make a charitable gift, the amount of that gift, and its destination, is nonetheless a personal choice of a private nature. Undoubtedly, the information sought by the Courier-Journal in this matter is of a personal nature.