Government Transparency

Restricting access to home addresses in public records hinders journalists’ ability to verify facts and hold officials in positions of power accountable, according to a study in the latest edition of the Journal of Civic Information published by the Joseph L. Brechner Freedom of Information Project.  The study, conducted by…

The Joseph L. Brechner Freedom of Information Project at the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications is training hundreds of journalists during the summer of 2024 on how to more effectively acquire government records for helping their communities better self-govern. On June 29, Director David Cuillier spoke at…

An article by Benjamin W. Cramer, Ph.D. of the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications at Pennsylvania State University analyzes American regulations, legislation, and executive orders that address the matter of critical infrastructure, primarily in communications. Published in the June 2024 edition of The Journal of Civic Information, the article conducts policy-oriented…

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 titled “Tale of two requesters: How public records law experiences differ by requester types,” co-authored by David Cuillier, director of the Joseph L. Brechner Freedom…

David Cuillier, director of the Brechner Freedom of Information Project, is quoted in “South Dakota Lags in Public-Records Transparency Laws, Expert Says” published on South Dakota’s soiuxlandproud.com on March 17. According to Cuillier, South Dakota’s state laws providing public access to state and local government records are among the weakest in…

David Cuillier, director of the Brechner Freedom of Information Project, is quoted in “Curious Commonwealth Asks: Are Virginia Open Records Laws Weaker Than Other States?” published on the website for Virginia Public Media on Oct. 25. The story investigates the strength of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) laws in Virginia…