A.Jay Wagner, an associate professor of journalism and media studies at the Marquette University Diederich College of Communication, has been appointed editor of the Journal of Civic Information.

Wagner, who earned his doctorate from Indiana University in 2016, succeeds founding editor David Cuillier, who will continue to serve as publisher, directing the Joseph L. Brechner Freedom of Information Project at the University of Florida, which created the journal in 2019 under the leadership of then-director Frank LoMonte.

A former journalist, Wagner has published extensively in freedom of information research, including a survey of American’s views about government transparency, analysis of copy fees charged to public record requesters, and experiments examining the effects of public records attribution in news stories on reader credibility.

Wagner has served as associate editor for the journal since 2023, along with fellow associate editor Ahmed Alrawi of Penn State. The editor and associate editor positions are three years.

The journal is accepting applications for associate editor. See more details at the journal website. Applications will be reviewed starting Oct. 15.

The Journal of Civic Information is a peer-reviewed open-access journal that is provided free to the public and is free to publish for authors. It is supported by endowments stewarded by the Brechner FOI Project since its founding in 1977. Since its founding it has published quarterly for a total of 28 issues showcasing 51 studies employing legal analysis and social science. It is advised by expert scholars in the field.

Posted: September 18, 2026
Category: Brechner News