The Indypendent Reader's Interview with Baltileaks

http://baltileaks.org/ is one of the newest independent media websites in Baltimore. Last month they began their call for the leak of documents of  "legitimate public value to the citizens of Baltimore." Describing themselves as acting "with journalist intent" they have released a variety of documents, most of them already public information, on their site and through their twitter feed. Aimee Pohl from The Indypendent Reader interviewed them via email. 

Indyreader: What motivated you to start Baltileaks?

Baltileaks: A small group of us (we are three people) was having a conversation about what we thought was missing from local journalism. We believe that there are a lot of good reporters doing strong work, but felt that many were distracted from "pure" journalism by the business realities of the organizations that support them. There is pressure to write stories that simply "generate buzz." We thought that we might be able to help some of these reporters by collecting information and doing research that they may not have time to do.

Indyreader: How many people are involved in the project? What kind of experience do you bring to this project?

Baltileaks: There are three of us and we're all deeply committed to Baltimore. We don't want to discuss our backgrounds, in order to maintain our anonymity.

Indyreader: Why do you remain anonymous?

Baltileaks: By being anonymous and offering anonymity to our sources, we feel like we can develop sources differently from traditional outlets. This provides a different kind of channel than already exists, so we think it might serve as a method for developing some different stories that might not otherwise come to light.

Indyreader: How do you guarantee privacy and legal protection for those sending you information?

Baltileaks: There are no guarantees, but we do pledge to do our best to protect the privacy and identity of anyone who might choose to work with us. Ultimately, we believe that if the public good is served by exposing information, that is more important than concerns that might arise from sharing privileged information. We have access to excellent legal counsel and will engage that advice if we feel it is warranted.

Indyreader: What kind of submissions have you received?

Baltileaks: We have mostly received public documents, leads, and tips so far – nothing particularly secret yet. But in a town where so much public information is not thoroughly examined, even that can be revelatory. We've already raised serious questions about campaign donors and various vendors doing business with the city, and these are questions that we didn't see anyone asking before. We also intend to archive and index data that the city does not make readily available otherwise, such as Board of Estimates meeting agendas. We're asking for a volunteer to help us request that historic record in electronic form. There's no good reason that information shouldn't be completely available and searchable online.

Indyreader: When you say that you are asking for a volunteer to help you request the Board of Estimates records in electronic form, who are you asking to volunteer?

Baltileaks: Because of our anonymity we are not able to do things like file requests for documents using the Maryland Public Information Act. However, there's no reason we can't work with individuals to do things like that. We have already received and released a lot of information that has come through that kind of channel. We do not intend (or need) to reveal our identity as part of that process.

For what it's worth, we think the discussion about our anonymity has been overblown, though we understand that everyone loves a mystery. The bottom line, however, is that we couldn't effectively expect to undertake this task if we were not anonymous. We think our anonymity creates a different (not always positive, but at least different) dynamic than exists with the mainstream media and thereby creates an alternative voice and channel for dialog. We believe there is some strength in that difference and we believe that everything we have done so far demonstrates that we are concerned with authentic dialog and genuine inquiry into facts.

Indyreader: What can you tell us about the Carl Stokes Lead Paint Case documents? Were they private or public documents? What kind of media follow up has there been?

Baltileaks: Again, this was a collection of disparate public documents. We can't say for sure what follow up there might have been yet; we're just passing leads to reporters. However, Baltimore Brew contacted Mr. Stokes' office about the case and he declined to comment. Maybe there's a bigger story there, or maybe there's not, but either way people deserve to have a clearer and more complete picture about what's happening in local government. This is just one more channel to help achieve that goal.

The Baltimore Brew reported yesterday that Baltimore Government Watch has closed down:

http://www.baltimorebrew.com/2011/03/07/that-was-quick-baltimore-government-watch-shutting-down/

Indyreader: Do you know what happened?

Baltileaks: We are aware they decided to close down but don't know why. Perhaps their identity was compromised or they were threatened; it seems that the Sun used some documents they released as a story source, and maybe that generated some heat. We have been in contact with BGW about releasing some of their documents.

Indyreader: How are you different from them? How do you plan to avoid the same fate?

Baltileaks: As we are both anonymous and we don't know who they are, it's hard to speculate how we might be different. However, we have taken considerable pains to ensure our anonymity. We don't anticipate any circumstance that would dissuade us from pursuing this mission, other than the possibility that someone else would take on the task effectively.

Indyreader: How will you know when you are being effective?

Baltileaks: I think we already are being at least partially effective. We're causing people to ask questions and to engage in dialog about the role of the press and how government functions. That is positive. We're also pointing people to a lot of material that allows them to connect the dots on their own. In the longer term, we want to create a feedback loop that is self-sustaining and that may take some time. There are some that seem to think we should hit full speed right out of the gate, but that's not realistic or inline with our vision. We've only been doing this for one month.

Indyreader: Have you received any information on the Baltimore Development Corporation? I would think that as a quasi-public organization with an incredible amount of power in city government would be home to many dirty secrets.

Baltileaks: We haven't specifically yet, and to be clear we are not necessarily looking for dirt or even privileged information, though we won't back away from releasing such information if we receive it. An incredible amount of power can come from linking together public information into a narrative, and we're looking to do that as well. As for BDC specifically, we think BDC should be open to public scrutiny as much as the rest of government and agree that it is unusual in its power, its structure, and its relationship with the executive branch of city government.

Indyreader: How do you respond to established journalists who argue that you are being irresponsible by distributing documents without context?

Baltileaks: We challenge those journalists to create that context. Complaining about what we are doing is not constructive and it doesn't advance the cause of journalism. If we provide a channel for primary source materials to be made available to the public and to journalists, that benefits everyone.

Indyreader: There has been criticism of how you have used your twitter feed, posting names and questions that some find more accusatory than informational, and that because of their content they are directed against Mayor Stephanie Rawlings Blake, perhaps in the service of another candidate, including here in The Baltimore Brew: http://www.baltimorebrew.com/2011/02/24/baltileaks-election-year-dirt-diggers-or-crusading-citizen-journalists/

Are you intentionally trying to sensationalize information, and direct sentiment against the Mayor?

The nature of what we are doing naturally pits us against the status quo. The establishment in Baltimore has benefited from things being a certain way. One of the ways they have been able to maintain the status quo is by controlling the flow of information. We're here to say that information cannot be controlled any longer. And to the extent that the power structure relies on that to retain control, we challenge that. We're also not claiming to be a full-blown journalistic entity. There are others that serve that role. So, if we can help point people in the direction of primary source materials that can help them tell their stories better, we will be successful. If we raise questions sometimes without providing answers, we feel that's a legitimate role for us to play.