Brechner News

Is the public entitled to request documents kept by state legislators? Can a requester be sued by the government just for filing a freedom-of-information request — and is there a way to get such harassing litigation easily dismissed without spending a fortune on legal fees? The newly published second issue…

Federal student privacy law has been abused and distorted to deny journalists access to records essential for public safety, a coalition of media and First Amendment organizations told the U.S. Supreme Court Monday, urging justices to accept author Jon Krakauer’s petition in a much-watched freedom-of-information case. Krakauer, the acclaimed author…

Frank LoMonte, University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications Brechner Center for Freedom of Information director, is the author of “Putting the ‘Public’ Back into Public Employment: A Roadmap for Challenging Prior Restraints That Prohibit Government Employees from Speaking to the News Media” published in the University of Kansas…

Frank LoMonte, University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications Brechner Center for Freedom of Information director, is quoted in “Lawsuit Over Underhill’s Facebook May Set Precedent for How Politicians Use Social Media” published in Pensacola News Journal on Nov. 18. The article focuses on a lawsuit against Escambia County…

Rachael Jones, University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications Brechner Center for Freedom of Information legal fellow and UF law student Virginia Hamrick, are the authors of “Reporting on NDAs and #MeToo: How the Press May Obtain Standing to Challenge NDAs” published in the American Bar Association’s Communications Lawyer,…

Frank LoMonte, University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications Brechner Center for Freedom of Information director, and Jasmine McNealy, CJC Telecommunication associate professor, are quoted in “First, Do No Harm – But How?” published in Phi Delta Kappan on Nov. 6. The article focuses on requests to remove previously…

Frank LoMonte, University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications Brechner Center for Freedom of Information director, and Brechner Journalism Fellow Miranda Spivack, will speak at a Freedom of Information Workshop on Nov. 13 at 6 p.m. at the UF Levin College of Law Chesterfield Smith Memorial Classroom. The public…

Frank LoMonte, University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications Brechner Center for Freedom of Information director, is quoted in “A Northern Kentucky Family Court Judge Has Her Own Divorce Records Sealed in Another County” published in The Cincinnati Enquirer on Oct. 28. The article focuses on Kenton County Family…

Frank LoMonte, University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications Brechner Center for Freedom of Information director, is quoted in “Expert Calls JSO Redactions on Duval School Theft Case ‘Unnecessarily Heavy’” published in the Florida Times Union on Oct. 15. The article focuses on a heavily redacted arrest report via…

Frank LoMonte, University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications Brechner Center for Freedom of Information director, is the author of “Government Agencies Can’t Stop Employees from Talking to the Press. Here’s Why” published on Poynter.org on Oct. 15. In the article, LoMonte focuses on government employees being prohibited from…

Imani Jackson, University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications Brechner Center for Freedom of Information legal fellow, is the author of “Mother Nature Can’t Equalize All: Federal Prison Transparency and Environmental Exigencies”  published in the Brechner Report on Oct. 8. Jackson focuses on the Brechner Center’s investigation of how…

Government agencies throughout the country are enforcing broad policies forbidding public employees from speaking to the news media without approval, even though federal courts repeatedly have declared such policies unconstitutional, the Brechner Center for Freedom of Information documents in a new report. The Brechner Center issue brief, “The First Amendment…