Knoxville News-Sentinel Wins the 23nd Annual Joseph L. Brechner Freedom of Information Award

The Knoxville News Sentinel was named the 2008 winner of the Joseph L. Brechner Center for Freedom of Information Award, according to Sandra F. Chance, executive director of the center.   Scott Barker accepted the $3,000 check on behalf of the newspaper at the Brechner Center’s 23rd annual Freedom of Information award ceremony at the Thomas Center on March 3, 2009.
Barker was the lead reporter on a team covering political intrigue in Knox County over a three-year period that resulted in the court-ordered removal of 12 elected officials, the resignations of four county administrators, the ouster of another elected official for perjury and a criminal probe into county finances that continues to this day.  The series was recognized at the 23rd Annual Brechner Center for Freedom of Information award ceremony at the Thomas Center on March 3, 2009.
 “This series is a wonderful example of how tenacious reporting, coupled with a willingness to aggressively defend the public’s right to know, can positively impact the democratic process,” according to Chance..
 “These stories highlight the importance of exposing corrupt governmental officials and protecting the right of the public to oversee the actions of their government officials and hold them accountable for those actions,” Chance added. “The county’s rotten political system was exposed by the newspaper and concerned citizens got involved and changed their government.”
The annual award was established by the late Joseph L. Brechner, an Orlando broadcaster. Previous award winners include: The Associated Press, The Miami Herald, the San Francisco Chronicle, The Washington Post, the Columbia Journalism Review, The St. Petersburg Times, The Dallas Morning News, the Sun-Sentinel and the Houston Chronicle.
Located at the University of Florida (UF) in Gainesville, Fla., the Brechner Center for Freedom of Information exists to educate and promote freedom of information laws and policies.  It serves the students of UF, Florida citizens, media lawyers and journalists around the country by providing training sessions, answering queries and conducting scholarly research on First Amendment issues.

 2007 FOI Summit - The Brechner Center for Freedom of Information celebrated its 30th anniversary with a two-day conference providing various sessions educating, training, and advocating freedom of information. In celebration of its 30th anniversary, The Brechner Center for Freedom of Information has selected the top 30 freedom of information stories published in Florida in the past 30 years and inducted a class of six honorees into its Freedom of Information Hall of Fame.

Miami Herald Reporters Win the 22nd Annual Joseph L. Brechner Freedom of Information Award
GAINESVILLE , FLA. – Two reporters from The Miami Herald are the recipients of the 22 nd annual Joseph L. Brechner Freedom of Information Award for their work on an investigation that uncovered illegal case sealing practices in the Broward court system and beyond. Patrick Danner and Dan Christensen revealed that the Borward courts had improperly removed more than 100 civil cases from the court docket since 2001, and dozens others had been removed in circuit courts around Florida. “Patrick Danner and Dan Christensen remind journalists of the importance of utilizing the right to freedom of information in their reporting,” said Sandra F. Chance, executive director of the Brechner Center for Freedom of Information. “Without utilizing these rights, many stories like these are kept from public scrutiny.” The Miami Herald sued for access to case numbers and party names and found many of the confidential cases involved the divorces of high profile individuals and civil litigation involving public, tax-funded agencies. The work of Danner and Christensen further found that the courts had been improperly leaving criminal cases off the docket and some judges had not followed the law when sealing the cases. In response to the reporters’ investigation, the Florida Attorney General launched an investigation and the Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice ordered every chief judge in the state to review their case sealing procedures. TheHerald’s reporting prompted similar investigations by newspapers across Florida. “The work of The Miami Herald is a prime example of how diligent reporting can result in systematic changes in how the government works,” Chance said. Christensen was also the 2004 recipient of the Brechner Award for his investigation of secret dockets at the federal level during his time at the Miami Daily Business Review. The annual award was established by the late Joseph L. Brechner, an Orlando broadcaster. Previous award winners include: the San Francisco Chronicle, The Washington Post, the Columbia Journalism Review, The St. Petersburg Times, The Dallas Morning News, the Sun-Sentinel and the Houston Chronicle. Located at the University of Florida (UF) in Gainesville, Fla., the Brechner Center exists to educate and promote freedom of information laws and policies. It serves the students of UF, Florida citizens, media lawyers and journalists around the country by providing training sessions, answering queries and conducting scholarly research on First Amendment issues.

Associated Press Writer Wins FOI Award
GAINESVILLE , FLA. – A groundbreaking, detailed series by The Associated Press that examined the treatment and prosecution of detainees at Guantanamo Bay was named the winner of the 2006 Joseph L. Brechner Center for Freedom of Information Award, according to Sandra F. Chance, executive director of the Brechner Center. “Guantanamo Exposed” was written by Associated Press writer Paisley Dodds, who now serves as the bureau chief in London. Dodds has covered Guantanamo Bay since the U.S. opened the detainee camp in 2002. Taking a look back during the camp’s third year in existence, the 2005 series revealed psychological pressures and harsh conditions for the approximately 520 male, terrorist suspects, from 40 countries, held at the secretive U.S. detention camp.

The Argus Leader Wins FOI Award
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- A hard-hitting investigative series by the Argus Leader was named the 2005 winner of the Joseph L. Brechner Center for Freedom of Information Award, according to Sandra F. Chance, executive director of the Brechner Center. The series uncovered the secret and illegal sealing of criminal pardons in South Dakota.

The Daily Business Review Wins FOI Award
GAINESVILLE, Fla.— A groundbreaking series by the Daily Business Review was named the winner of the Joseph L. Brechner Center for Freedom of Information Award, according to Sandra F. Chance, executive Director of the Brechner Center. The articles, written by federal court reporter Dan Christensen, exposed how federal judges were suppressing civil and criminal cases by wiping them off the public record. Typically, even sealed cases appear on the public docket, but in these instances, judges tried to conceal their existence from the public.

The San Francisco Chronicle Wins FOI Award 
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — A gripping freedom of information series by the San Francisco Chronicle was named the 2003 winner of the Joseph L. Brechner Center for Freedom of Information Award, according to Sandra F. Chance, executive director of the Brechner Center

The Burlington Free Press Wins 2002 FOI Award
A compelling freedom of information series by The Burlington Free Press won this year’s Joseph L. Brechner Center for Freedom of Information award, according to Sandra Chance, director of the Brechner Center. The series, titled: “Code of Silence,” graphically demonstrates how a lack of public information about physicians in Vermont lead to life-altering injuries and unnecessary deaths.

Arkansas newspaper wins Brechner FOI prize
A five-month series of articles and editorials chronicling the battle between a juvenile court judge and the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette received the 2001 Joseph L. Brechner Freedom of Information Award.

Florida Sunshine Laws Under Attack
Editorial by Dr. Sandra Chance. Florida's government-in-the-sunshine laws came close to being the next casualty in the U.S. war on terrorism.

Gannett New Jersey Newspaper Group Wins 2000 FOI Award
The series, titled "Public Access Denied," detailed the abysmal compliance rate with the state's public record law.

Indiana Newspapers Win 1999 FOI Award
The five-part series, titled "The State of Secrecy: Indiana flunks the test on access," detailed the abysmal compliance rate with the state's public record law.

New Director of the Brechner Center
(May 19, 1999) The center’s longtime director and eminent scholar Bill Chamberlin is assuming responsibility as director of the Citizen's Access Project. Assistant Director Dr. Sandra Chance will take over as Brechner Center director.

Orlando Broadcasting Executive Marion Brechner Endows Citizen Access Project
(March 31, 1999) A major gift will enable the University of Florida to evaluate citizen access to information about state and local government in every state in the nation.