Brechner News

Excessive copy fees are one of the most common barriers people have in accessing their government. Sometimes agencies use fees to force a requester to narrow the requested information.

Given the significance of the upcoming trials of former President Trump, the rules should be changed quickly to make sure the public has a firsthand view. It would require an act of Congress and a rule change by the Judicial Conference.

ProPublica reporter Brett Murphy is the winner of the 2023 Brechner Center Freedom of Information Award for “Words of Conviction,” his investigation into the use of a technique used by police and prosecutors to treat people who called 911 for help as criminals themselves. On April 10, 2023, we sat…

ProPublica reporter Brett Murphy is the winner of the 2023 Brechner Freedom of Information Award for “Words of Conviction,” his investigation into the use of a technique used by police and prosecutors to treat people who called 911 for help as criminals themselves.

Janet Coats, managing director of the Consortium on Trust in Media and Technology (CTMT) at the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications, will speak about the College’s Brechner Center for Freedom of Information at the Alachua County Library District’s Freedom of Information Day on March 16 at 5 p.m. in downtown Gainesville. Coats will discuss…

David Cuillier, incoming director of the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications Brechner Freedom of Information Project, will be speaking at the 2023 Americans for Prosperity Foundation (AFPF) Sunshine Week Symposium. The online webinar will be on March 16 at 1 p.m. Cuillier will be one of six panelists discussing the…

David Cuillier, incoming director of the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications Brechner Freedom of Information Project, is the author of “Overclassification Overkill: The U.S. Government is Drowning in a Sea of Secrets” published in The Conversation on March 1. According to Cuillier, the U.S. has an overclassification problem which…

The University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications announced on Feb. 21 that David Cuillier has been named director of the Joseph L. Brechner Freedom of Information Project. He will join the College on July 1, 2023. The Freedom of Information Project is part of a newly named Brechner Center…

Student journalists across the U.S. are raising awareness of the challenges they face, celebrate their contributions, and take action to protect and restore their First Amendment freedoms.

The Brechner Center for Freedom of Information today announced that the entry period for the 2023 Brechner Center for Freedom of Information Award, recognizing excellence in news reporting across all media platforms that was aired or published during 2022. Applications are due March 1, 2023, and there is no fee…

The second season focuses on secrecy in the criminal justice system and on the ways that government agencies fail to gather and share information essential for public safety and welfare.

The award-winning journalist discussed his use of FOIA at the front end of his newsgathering process, while cultivating sources that can shed light on situations uncovered through the released documents.