Journalists and government agencies aren’t always in sync. In fact, they often fight over access to information. Reporters want to tell the public what’s going on, while officials may be hesitant to release information. The Freedom of Information Act was created to allow for the “full or partial disclosure of previously unreleased information and documents controlled by the U.S. government.”

FOIA requests are on the rise, but agencies are devoting fewer people and resources to answering them. We spoke with Scott Hodes, a private attorney who specializes in FOIA issues.