Brechner News

Brechner launching Sunshine Fest for March 19-20, in Washington, D.C.

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Sunshine Week and identify solutions to the most pressing problems in government transparency, the Joseph L. Brechner Freedom of Information Project at the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications is coordinating the first in-person “Sunshine Fest” March 19-20, 2025, in Washington, D.C. 

Posted: December 11, 2024

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Sunshine Week and identify solutions to the most pressing problems in government transparency, the Joseph L. Brechner Freedom of Information Project at the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications is coordinating the first in-person “Sunshine Fest” March 19-20, 2025, in Washington, D.C.   The gathering will focus on solutions to pressing problems in freedom of information across geographic boundaries – local, state, federal and global – including journalists, record custodians, policy makers, historians, librarians, researchers, commercial data providers, and all other constituencies who care about transparency.   Attendees will produce an action plan to…

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Michigan pushes for FOIA reform

Michigan lawmakers are working to expand the state’s Freedom of Information Act to include the governor’s office and state legislators, a move advocates say would strengthen government transparency and accountability. 

Posted: December 10, 2024

LANSING, Mich. — Michigan lawmakers are working to expand the state’s Freedom of Information Act to include the governor’s office and state legislators, a move advocates say would strengthen government transparency and accountability.  According to reporting from the Detroit Free Press, the legislation, which passed the Senate with a 36-2 vote in June, would address a significant gap in the state’s transparency laws. The bills are now waiting for action in the House, where Speaker Joe Tate has not committed to advancing them during the lame-duck session.  First created in 1976, Michigan’s FOIA law has provided public access to government…

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2025 Brechner Freedom of Information Award open, $3,000 prize

Posted: November 22, 2024

Entries for the 2025 Brechner Freedom of Information Award are being accepted through Jan. 10, 2025, to recognize outstanding records-based news reporting aired or published during 2024.  The award has been presented annually since 1986 by the Joseph L. Brechner Freedom of Information Project at the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications to reward excellence in reporting that draws on government documents and data, shedding light on official secrecy. The first-place winner will receive $3,000. It is free to enter.  Non-academic stories or series of stories related to freedom of information or based heavily on public records, and…

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