Brechner News

The Joseph L. Brechner Freedom of Information Project’s Journal of Civic Information welcomes two new associate editors to improve the reach and impact in scholarship toward a more informed world.

In the past year, since July 2023, the Brechner FOI Project has provided 45 trainings, in-person and online, to more than 1,500 journalists, citizens, students, and government officials.

An article in the June 2024 edition of the Journal of Civic Information analyzes American regulations, legislation, and executive orders that address the matter of critical infrastructure, primarily in communications. 

David Cuillier, director of the Brechner Freedom of Information Project, is quoted in “Would Direct Payments to College Athletes be Public Records?” posted on deseret.com on May 31.

The spread of “confidentiality” laws throughout the states threatens to lock up government employees for potentially unconstitutional reasons, according to a new study by the Brechner Freedom of Information Project.

The University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications (UFCJC)  and Democracy Fund today announced a $225,000 grant to support a multi-university research project that will aid government agencies in handling unduly burdensome public records requests without restricting the flow of civic information.

Most police departments in the United States employ constitutionally questionable policies prohibiting their officers from expressing concerns publicly on social media about misconduct.

David Cuillier, director of the Brechner Freedom of Information Project, is quoted in “Out-of-State Public Records Experts Weigh in on a Louisiana Bill that is Drawing Lots of Criticism” published on fox8live.com on April 19.

Photograph archives maintained by newspapers are disappearing as legacy media go out of business, eradicating valuable historical artifacts for communities throughout the United States.

David Cuillier, director of the Brechner Freedom of Information Project, is quoted in “Lombardi Puts A Gag on City Employees” published in the Lockport (New York) Union-Sun & Journal on April 25.

Journalists, average Americans, and others seeking government records in the public interest are more likely to be denied information than for-profit requesters, according to a new study.

Members of the Miami Herald project team that produced “Shakedown City,” which won the 2024 Brechner Freedom of Information Award will discuss their  work at a luncheon in Gainesville, Florida, on April 8.