A new partnership led by MuckRock and involving the National Freedom of Information Coalition (NFOIC), the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and the Brechner Freedom of Information Project is working to help journalists acquire the information they need to inform the public. 

 Journalism relies on public records, but transparency laws are weakening nationwide, with longer response times, high fees and more frequent rejections. Agencies know that few newsrooms can research and push back on denials, and even fewer can litigate. This blocks both critical local accountability reporting and enterprise investigations, leaving the public in the dark. 

 The new initiative, launched today, brings together the resources of each organization and connects journalists with the country’s foremost records experts at the state level who have deep, local knowledge of laws, judicial precedents, and strategies that can help them overcome challenges. 

It also will connect those journalists to lawyers, if necessary — including through the Reporters Committee’s Local Legal Initiative and Legal Hotline — who can support stronger pushback, sometimes with pro bono litigation. 

 The partnership will develop AI-powered tools that integrate with newsrooms’ existing workflows to provide vetted guidance to journalists in identifying and acquiring relevant government records, speeding up the process of getting reliable information to the public. 

“Our plan with this project is to put the extensive knowledge and expertise of the state freedom-of-information organizations into every newsroom,” said Jeff Roberts, NFOIC board president and executive director of the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition. “The ultimate goal is to help local journalists cover government more deeply and better inform their communities.” 

The new partnership is made possible with a three-year $1.25 million grant from Press Forward, a national initiative to reimagine local news. 

 The Joseph L. Brechner Freedom of Information Project, at the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications, will assist the project through its research expertise and education efforts. 

“Our research indicates that government secrecy is increasing yearly across the country, and journalists need these tools to empower citizens with the information they need to self-govern,” said David Cuillier, director of the Brechner FOI Project. 

The funding is part of Press Forward’s Open Call on Infrastructure, which is providing $22.7million to 22 projects that address the urgent challenges local newsrooms face today.  

“Today’s local newsrooms are much smaller than 25 years ago, yet must do more with less – particularly due to rapid changes in technology and demands of a 24-hour news cycle,” said Dale Anglin, Press Forward’s Director. “The MuckRock Foundation’s project and others receiving funding represent a range of solutions that are needed to meet urgent challenges. We hope these awards can provide local newsrooms, organizations, and journalists with shared resources that strengthen their efficiency and capacity.” 

More details, including ways for journalists to receive support and organizations to contribute to the effort, will be made public in the coming months. 

About the Brechner Freedom of Information Project 

Since 1977, the nonpartisan Joseph L. Brechner Freedom of Information Project at the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications has assisted – through research and education – journalists, policy makers, and citizens in acquiring the civic information they need to better their lives, foster accountable government, create a just society, and protect democracy and the republic. For more information, visit https://brechner.jou.ufl.edu/FOI/. 

About MuckRock 

MuckRock Foundation is a nonprofit, collaborative news site that brings together journalists, researchers and the public to request, analyze and share government information, making politics more transparent and democracy more informed. Founded in 2010, MuckRock has assisted in more than 150,000 public record requests at all levels of government. More information is available at https://www.muckrock.com/.  

About the National Freedom of Information Coalition 

NFOIC is a national nonprofit, nonpartisan association of independent state and regional open government organizations representing 39 states, commonwealths, territories and districts, including the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Through its programs and national member network, NFOIC promotes access to public records, including court records, access to public meetings, press freedom and legislative and administrative reforms to improve local and state government transparency. More information is available at https://www.nfoic.org/.  

About the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press 

The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press is the leading pro bono legal services organization for journalists and newsrooms in the U.S. The Reporters Committee provides legal representation, amicus curiae support, and other legal resources at no cost to protect First Amendment freedoms and the newsgathering rights of journalists across the country. More information is available at https://www.rcfp.org/.  

About Press Forward 

Launched in the fall of 2023, Press Forward is working to reimagine local news nationwide. Together, more than 90 funders – from local community foundations to national foundations – have invested more than $200 million in the sector, including in news outlets in every state. Press Forward is a nationwide movement to strengthen our democracy by revitalizing local news and information. Press Forward’s growing coalition of funders has committed to invest more than $500 million to strengthen local newsrooms, close longstanding gaps in journalism coverage, advance public policy that expands access to local news and scale infrastructure the sector needs to thrive. Named by Fast Company’s as one of 2025’s Most Innovative Non-Profits, Press Forward is housed at The Miami Foundation. 

Posted: July 16, 2025
Category: Brechner News
Tagged as: Brechner Center for Freedom of Information, Brechner FOI Project, Brechner Freedom of Information Project, FOI, FOIA, Government Transparency, open records laws, public records, secrecy, Secrecy Tracker