Ohio officials warned against chat apps, and 8 ways we use public records laws

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost this month released an updated version of his office’s Sunshine Laws Manual — also known as the Yellow Book — that serves as a reference guide on Ohio public records and open government laws.

This year’s sunshine manual includes a directive advising government officials against using messaging apps that automatically delete records, such as WhatsApp and Snapchat, for official government communication. Automatically deleting records before they can be reviewed or retained could be in violation of Ohio’s Public Records Act, the AG’s office says.

“Self-destructing messages are for movie characters, not public officials,” Yost said. “Using disappearing messages will only self-destruct your career and your credibility.”

Yost’s office releases the Yellow Book each year during National Sunshine Week, a week in March when government transparency advocates draw attention to the importance of public records laws.

The Dayton Daily News, Springfield News-Sun and Journal-News rely on public records laws for government accountability reporting.

Recent examples include:

Library issues: Internal employee feedback records from the Dayton Metro Library revealed that a consultant deemed the taxpayer-funded agency is in “crisis mode.”
Videos: Videos obtained through public records law shed light on a high-profile Tipp City homicide investigation, an altercation that left a Montgomery County Jail inmate injured and the meeting of an attorney and judge accused of working to influence an election.
Enforcement: Public records revealed that Middletown city leaders are not enforcing city ordinances meant to hold owners of downtown vacant properties accountable.
Haitian allegations: Amid rumors about Springfield’s Haitian population, we used public records to show the actual population, crime, public health and public assistance trends.
Public safety: Our reporters used public records to investigate what warning signs existed before the death of a 7-year-old boy, and in the years leading up to a school bus driver being charged with sex crimes.
Public payroll: Our Payroll Project uses public records to reveal how taxpayer dollars are spent, and recently revealed a lack of performance reviews for Dayton’s city manager.
Public health: Our analysis of public health records revealed a quarter of motels and hotels in Montgomery County last year either were the subject of complaints about pests or inspectors found evidence of their presence.
Ethics violations: We used public records law to reveal that Preble County trustee was one of 13 public officials across the state reprimanded for state ethics law violations in cases the Ohio Ethics Commission closed in 2025.

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About the Author

Josh Sweigart

Josh Sweigart is an investigative reporter at the Dayton Daily News. His stories have focused on government waste, fraud, abuse and accountability in southwest Ohio, as well as the statehouse and U.S. Capitol.