The Public Records Officer Podcast
The Public Records Officer Podcast
Fighting for the People’s Right to Know.
From public records battles to quiet cover-ups, from deleted chats to documents they hoped you’d never see... The Public Records Officer Podcast (PROP) exposes the ways power hides from the people it serves.
Hosted by open government advocate, a former elected official, state government public information officer and communications director Jamie Nixon, this show pulls back the curtain on the tactics used by public agencies to avoid transparency, and highlights the citizens, journalists, and legal warriors fighting back.
Season One investigates the ontologically shocking story of how Washington State agencies used Microsoft Teams to automatically delete public records after just seven days, raising questions of legality, accountability, and who gets to decide what the public has a right to see.
Each episode blends documents, depositions, interviews, and digital trails with sharp commentary and a sense of civic urgency. Whether it’s a modified invoice, redacted emails, or a policy crafted to vanish before a subpoena hits... The PROP is here to shine a light where the law demands it.
Featuring interviews with journalists, attorneys, and the officials who tried to sound the alarm before it was too late.
The truth doesn’t expire in seven days.
The Public Records Officer Podcast
Ep. 7 Who Wrote That
What happens when governments let artificial intelligence draft their words? Who’s really behind the keyboard when AI systems churn out emails, press releases, or chatbot responses on behalf of public agencies?
In this episode, Jamie Nixon sits down with journalist Nate Sanford of Cascade PBS to talk about his reporting on how AI is creeping into government communications, and what that means for authorship, accountability, and transparency. From “transitory” excuses to the risk of bot-written bureaucracy, we dig into how AI is reshaping the fight for public records and public trust.
If you’ve ever wondered whether the next government message you read was written by a human or a machine, this episode is for you.
Links to to Nate's two part piece... Part 1 & Part 2
Transcript + Source Docs:
Get the full hyperlinked transcript and all documents referenced in this episode:
thepublicrecordsofficer.com
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About WashCOG:
The Washington Coalition for Open Government (WashCOG) fights for transparency and accountability in Washington State. Learn more:
washcog.org
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