Miranda Spivack on 'Backroom Deals in Our Backyards' and Citizens Taking Transparency Into Their Own Hands

Veteran journalist Miranda Spivack has spent decades digging into state and local governments, but her new book Backroom Deals in Our Backyards shifts the spotlight to the everyday people who take on that fight themselves.

The book profiles five “accidental activists” from across the country who faced years-long battles for public records. Their causes range from exposing toxic chemicals in firefighter gear to fighting for clean drinking water and safer roads. What unites them, Spivack says, is persistence, coalition-building, and the ability to “dig in” when government and private industry work together to keep information hidden.

You can purchase her book here.