Mark Harris was getting tired of consumer reporting when he found a way to get great scoops to literally come right to him: Freedom of Information requests. Here our inaugural MuckRock Thiel Fellow shares the tips and tactics that helped him pierce the secrecy around Palantir and dig into other secretive tech companies.

“Follow the money” is great on paper but can often feel tedious in real life, but this week there were a number of great examples showing how following a paper trail, whether documents regarding the incorporation of a religion or a parking ticket database, can lead to interesting stories.

Sometimes just one FOIA request can change how we think about everything - and sometimes it takes a whole fleet of requests. Whether you’re a veteran public records guru or someone just starting to get interested in government transparency, here’s some creative uses of public records we’ve seen and tips you can use.

Last September, we announced the MuckRock Thiel Fellowship, an opportunity for one journalist to dedicate their time, wit, and a whole lot of FOIA requests to studying the life’s work of Peter Thiel. Thanks to the generosity of Motherboard, The Outline, and a number of individual supporters, we were able to expand that to three inaugural Thiel Fellows, and I’m pleased to announce them today.

We’ve already received a number of wonderful applications to the MuckRock Thiel Fellowship, and even more organizations and individuals have reached out to support highlighting companies connected to Peter Thiel. Selected fellows will now collectively receive over $5,255 in FOIA assistance, funds to pay request fees, and reporting stipends.