Tools: Targeted Video Search

Interesting new tool now in beta development: VideoSurf.com. These guys have created a new way to search for video by actually including elements of the video footage in the search algorithm. What does that mean? Unlike YouTube, which searches based on tags and descriptions - and thus, doesn't necessarily reflect what's actually in the video if a poster doesn't include the right info - VideoSurf seems to give more targeted results aggregated from other video sites. Cool.

Tools: FOI Litigation Handbook

Lawyer and journalist Harry Hammitt, the FOI guru behind the AccessReports.com resource website, has come out with a new book, "Litigation Under the Federal Open Government Laws 2008". "Under the Freedom of Information Act, one need not be a lawyer to file a lawsuit," says Secrecy News, a project of the Federation of American Scientists, in a post on the new handbook. "A clever, committed advocate can sometimes defeat a team of government lawyers and win disclosure of denied documents. On the other hand, an inept, overzealous or unlucky litigant can leave a trail of legal wreckage that will make the lives of other FOIA requesters more difficult. A newly updated guidebook will help any would-be litigant, whether a lawyer or not, to avoid many of the pitfalls of FOIA litigation and to realistically assess the chances of success. Don't file suit without it." Read more here at Hammit's site.

TAGS: FOI, tools

Awards: ProPublica to Recognize Government Investigators

Add this to the what-a-good-idea column: ProPublica, the nonprofit investigative journo outfit in the U.S., is creating a new series of investigative awards for government entities. The awards will honour outstanding reporting by bodies like the Government Accountability Office, Congressional committees, inspectors general, state attorneys-general and the like from federal and state levels. Nominations open now through Jan. 31, 2009, for the 2008 calendar year. Learn more here.

TAGS: awards, investigations, ProPublica