From the Salisbury Post (3/11/12): Questions and answers about N.C. public information laws
Question: What is the public policy regarding public records?
Answer: The N.C. General Assembly has declared as a matter of public policy that public records and public information compiled by agencies of state government or its subdivisions, including local government, are the property of the people.
Q: Does the N.C. Public Records Law cover access to records of federal agencies?
A: No, unless those records are in the custody of state and local government agencies. The 1966 Freedom of Information Act generally provides that any person has a right to access federal agency records, except when all or parts of those records are protected by specific exemptions or specific law enforcement record exclusions. People seeking federal records should contact the public information officer for the federal agency maintaining the records.
Q: Are the Public Records and Open Meetings Acts the only laws dictating the public’s right to access certain records or meetings?
A: No. There are times when other state or federal laws may protect public access to select records or meetings. For example, select state statutes may require disclosure of particular records, such as limited items in a personnel record.