Brechner Center for Freedom of Information

A new study has found that the COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the independence of college media outlets both during and after the pandemic. The findings by University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications doctoral student Jessica Sparks, former Brechner Center for Freedom of Information Director Frank…

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…

The University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications today announced 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 for…

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 Brechner Center for Freedom of Information at the University of Florida has launched the second season of the podcast “Why Don’t We Know” hosted by Sara Ganim, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and Hearst Journalism Fellow at the Center. The second season focuses on secrecy in the criminal justice system and…

By Lila Greenberg, B.S. Telecommunication 2022 The Brechner Center for Freedom of Information hosted its inaugural Brechner Speaker Series event featuring award-winning investigative journalist Jason Leopold. In collaboration with the Bob Graham Center for Public Service and the UF College of Journalism and Communication, the Brechner Center invited Leopold to…

Frank LoMonte, former University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications Brechner Center for Freedom of Information director, received the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) Washington, D.C. Pro Chapter 2022 Distinguished Service in Local Journalism Award at the chapter’s 2022 Dateline Awards and Hall of Fame dinner on June 14. LoMonte, currently legal…

Sara Ganim, University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications Brechner Center for Freedom of Information Hearst Journalism Fellow and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, is the host and producer of “’Gag Order’ Against Sexual Assault,” the latest episode of “What Don’t We Know” recorded at SXSW EDU in Austin and posted…

The Brechner Center for Freedom of Information at the University of Florida announced today the winners of the 2021-2022 Journal of Civic Information Law School Writing Competition. The honors include $2,000 and $1,000 first and second place cash prizes, respectively, and the opportunity to publish in the Journal of Civic…

Frank LoMonte, former University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications Brechner Center for Freedom of Information director, and UF law student Jessica Terkovich are the authors of “You Have the Duty to Remain Silent: How Workplace Gag Rules Frustrate Police Accountability” published in the Akron Law Review, Vol. 55, Issue 1. The…

Frank LoMonte, University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications Brechner Center for Freedom of Information director, is quoted in “WRAL Investigates: Payments Now Legal to College Athletes, But They’re Still Hidden” posted on wral.com on Feb. 28. The article focuses on the ability of student-athletes to make money off their name, image…

Entries are now open for the 2022 Brechner Center for Freedom of Information Award, recognizing excellence in news reporting across all media platforms that was aired or published during 2021. The $3,000 cash award seeks to reward journalism published by a U.S.-based news organization, or collaborative of organizations, that advances…