Jenifer McKim’s recent investigation, Out of the Shadows, is a troubling look into how state agencies failed to protect vulnerable children, leading to abuse, neglect, and even death. But the fight for evidence needed to report the piece began years ago, with a simple public records request.

Brooke Williams is an investigative reporter currently working out of Havard’s Safra Center for Ethics, where she investigates think tanks and their impact on public policy. In this week’s Requester’s Voice, Williams shares her thoughts on why a culture shift in government openness is more important than a policy change.