The law defines "public record" broadly to include "any writing containing information relating to the conduct of the public’s business prepared, owned, used or retained by any state or local agency, regardless of the physical form and characteristics." California Government Code Section 6252(g). A document does not have to be in written form to be a public record. A public record may consist of any medium that contains information.
Exempt Records
Every record made or received by the City is presumed to be a public record unless it is subject to an exemption. Exempt records are those that federal, state, or local law prohibits the City from disclosing or permits the City to decline to disclose. The custodian of records must either give you a copy of the requested record or provide you with a written justification of why the record is not public.