September 14th, 2001 • Quill Archives
High tech info – and high tech costs
When reporters at The Atlanta Journal and Constitution asked for a copy of a database from a Georgia county, the government set the price tag at $3,000. Officials later explained they arrived at that figure by estimating the cost necessary to do the work, doubling it because they had never filled that request before and then adding another 10 percent – just to make sure they hadn’t underestimated.
September 14th, 2001 • Quill Archives
Scrambled signals
Across the country, police and emergency departments are upgrading to communication systems that are clearer and more secure. But in the process, journalists and the general public are losing access to what has long been a source of news or entertainment.