FOIA Research and Request Specialist
Position Overview
- Job Title
- FOIA Research and Request Specialist
- Employment Type
- Full-time
- Location
- Hybrid / Remote
- Reports To
- Channel Creative Strategists
- Compensation
- $1,000 to $1,500 USD per month, depending on experience
About the role
The best bodycam channels are built on access to compelling, legally obtainable footage, not luck.
Public records requests are the foundation of our content pipeline. Every week, thousands of police departments, sheriff's offices, highway patrol agencies, prosecutors, and municipalities release body camera footage, dashcam videos, 911 audio, interrogation footage, surveillance recordings, and investigative documents through public records laws.
Your job is to systematically identify these stories before everyone else, obtain the footage, and build a reliable pipeline that keeps our channels supplied with high-quality content.
This is not simply filing paperwork. You will build and manage the research system that continuously discovers interesting incidents, tracks request status, communicates with agencies, follows up on delayed requests, and ensures media is delivered to our production team. Success in this role directly impacts how many videos we can produce.
The channels that represent our current quality standard are Code Blue Cam, Midwest Safety, and EWU Bodycam.
About us
NIA Production is a YouTube conglomerate. We own, build, and operate our own channels in-house. Every channel we run is ours.
We are 90+ people strong and growing rapidly. Most of our team is hybrid and we hire globally. We move fast. We care about results, and we hire people who think the same way.
Responsibilities
- Research and identify newsworthy incidents with strong storytelling potential for YouTube content.
- Prepare and submit FOIA and state public records requests to law enforcement agencies across the United States.
- Request and obtain body camera footage, dashcam footage, 911 calls, dispatch audio, police reports, arrest reports, and other relevant public records.
- Track all requests from submission to completion, including deadlines, response timelines, processing fees, and follow-up actions.
- Communicate professionally with records departments and public information officers to clarify requests, resolve issues, and follow up on outstanding cases.
- Organize and archive all received footage and documents, ensuring files are properly labeled and easily accessible for the production team.
- Maintain an accurate, well-structured database of active and completed requests.
Requirements
- Proven experience researching, preparing, and submitting FOIA and state public records requests.
- Strong knowledge of U.S. public records laws, including state-specific requirements, exemptions, and body camera release policies.
- Ability to determine what records can and cannot be obtained, and to draft clear, effective requests that maximize approval rates.
- Excellent research, organization, and tracking skills, with the ability to manage multiple active requests simultaneously.
- Strong written English, professional communication skills, and the ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
Nice to have
- Experience working with YouTube channels, particularly in news, true crime, or documentary content.
- Strong ability to identify incidents with high storytelling value and viral potential for YouTube.
- Familiarity with YouTube audience preferences and what makes bodycam or law enforcement content engaging.
What success looks like
- A consistent pipeline of submitted and approved requests.
- Timely follow-up on outstanding requests.
- Well-organized records and documentation.
- Regular delivery of usable footage to the production team.
- Discovery of high-quality stories before competitors.
Ready to apply?
Applications are reviewed as they come in. We read every submission.