A University of Arkansas, Fayetteville athletics spokesman encouraged the nonprofit Razorback Foundation to sidestep a reporter's questions to avoid setting a "precedent," one of several instances found in emails of the nonprofit and the university coordinating on public messaging.
The foundation has blocked access to its records by saying it is a separate legal organization not subject to the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act. Emails obtained from the university through the open-records law show the two regularly give and take feedback on how to communicate with media, fans, trustees and donors.
Discussions ranged from minor edits on newsletters to strategy about what financial information to release, how and when.