Last week, members of our staff traveled to Indianapolis for a seminar on “watchdog journalism.”

In the seminar, we were refreshed on the importance of things like the Freedom of Information Act, and how to effectively investigate companies, political bodies and even individuals.

While there, we were charged to “be advocates for the advocate-less”— essentially, the idea that journalists should serve as an intermediate between government and the masses.

As a publication, we approach that endeavor with the utmost seriousness, using the conference as a way to learn how to improve as an organization.

However, the public should not necessarily rely on media to completely inform them. Instead, you should try to understand your right to certain information. Any group working as a governmental body is legally committed to share most of their operations, including things like meeting agendas, sign-in sheets, call and text message logs, and even certain types of email.

The general public should educate themselves on what is rightfully there, as it only enhances political awareness and activism.

While in Indianapolis, our staff also learned some important methods for procuring information—methods we believe should be shared, as they are mutually beneficial to all of us.

A large part of the seminar focused on how Google , while it may have quirky logo changes and quick searches, only represents a small fraction of available information.

However, by utilizing other search engines, as well as learning to use Google’s advanced search options, research becomes much easier and efficient.

Google’s advanced option allows searches of domain and file types, making results more specific and relevant.

The conference also taught our staff the importance of examining .gov and .org websites. For example, a quick visit to the website FollowTheMoney.org gives insight into how money flows through state governments and how lobbyists affect representatives.

Another site, Opensecrets.org, provides background information on government officials, including previous employers and bills they have supported or voted against.

These public databases can give legitimacy to our government, and with America amidst an intense Presidential election, knowing the facts is incredibly important.

However, while these websites are undoubtedly useful, they may not have as direct an effect on the average American as the following do; SocialMention.com, ZoomInfo.com and 123People.com

These sites offer free searches of ordinary U.S. citizens. SocialMention.com serves as a database of a person’s interactions on a variety of social networking sites (yes, including Facebook!). The site even measures the sentiment of your name on the Internet, divided into “Negative, Positive and Neutral” categories.

Other websites we have listed do similar searches, even sometimes of criminal records.

The reason we tell you this is not to make you feel paranoid or afraid– it’s to inform you of your right to information, as well as management of such information.

Maintaining your online record can only benefit you in future, and everyone should learn how to do so.