Brechner News

Posted: April 16, 2024

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 of Information Project at the University of Florida. The study was published in March in the peer-reviewed journal Journalism. Cuillier and co-author A. Jay Wagner of Marquette University surveyed 330 people across the United States who have requested public records from the government through state and federal freedom of information laws.…

Category: Brechner News
Tagged as: Brechner Freedom of Information Project, David Cuillier, Government Transparency, open records laws, public records

Posted: March 27, 2024

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 Monday, April 8. All are welcome. The event takes place from 11:30 a.m. -1 p.m. at the Cone Park Library, 2801 E. University Ave. The talk is sponsored by the Florida Free Speech Forum. Attendees can pay $20 for lunch or attend for free without lunch. Register here by April 1. “Shakedown City,” an investigation into government corruption within the city of Miami that spawned a series of investigations…

Category: Brechner News
Tagged as: Brechner Freedom of Information Award, Brechner Freedom of Information Project, Florida Free Speech Forum, FOI, FOIA

Posted: March 25, 2024

The University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications (UFCJC)  and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation today announced the establishment of the Knight Sunshine Fund at the University of Florida, an endowment of $575,000 to help expand the reach and impact of Sunshine Week and increase public awareness of the importance of open government. Since its launch, millions of Americans have participated in Sunshine Week, the nation’s largest annual celebration of freedom of information. This year, the week ran from March 10-16 with events ranging from a foundation networking meeting in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to national events in Washington, D.C., run by open…

Category: Brechner News
Tagged as: Brechner Freedom of Information Project, David Cuillier, FOI, FOIA, Hub Brown, Knight Foundation, Knight Sunshine Fund, Sunshine Week

Posted: March 21, 2024

This year has been dubbed the year of elections; nowhere is this truer than in Africa, where 22 countries are holding presidential and parliamentary elections. This talk will explore the opportunities for increased democratization in African nations through press freedom, access to information, and free elections. The talk features Dr. Kingsley Ngange, a professor from Cameroon who is working from the University of Florida this year as a Fulbright scholar to develop stronger laws for his country in press freedom and access to information, as well as Dr. Nicholas Kerr, an assistant professor of political science at the University of…

Category: Brechner News
Tagged as: Africa, Brechner Freedom of Information Project, democracy, Freedom of Information, Marion B. Brechner First Amendment Project, press freedom, UF Center for African Studies

Posted: March 20, 2024

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 the U.S. Cuillier said exemptions represent “death by a thousand cuts.” He said South Dakota’s public-records laws ranked 22nd and 31st in two national studies but ranked 44th to 50th in six others. “Literally the worst in the country in three studies.” he said. Cuillier said journalists should humanize citizens’ frustrations when public-records laws…

Category: Brechner News
Tagged as: Brechner Freedom of Information Project, David Cuillier, Government Transparency, public records, secrecy, South Dakota, Sunshine Week, Washington State

Posted: March 18, 2024

The Miami Herald is the winner of the 2024 Brechner Freedom of Information Award for “Shakedown City,” an investigation into government corruption within the city of Miami that spawned a series of investigations by the FBI, Internal Revenue Service, Securities and Exchange Commission and state ethics commission. The award is administered by the Joseph L. Brechner Freedom of Information Project at the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications. The journalists submitted more than 150 public records requests and battled almost daily with city attorneys when the requests were ignored. The Herald’s document-based reporting revealed that Mayor Francis Suarez secretly received $170,000 from a developer,…

Category: Brechner News
Tagged as: Brechner Award, Brechner Freedom of Information Project, David Cuillier, Florida, Miami Herald, public records

Posted: March 15, 2024

David Cuillier, director of the Brechner Freedom of Information Project, is quoted in “Despite Marsy’s Law Ruling, TPD Won’t Release Information on Officer Involved in Shooting” published in the Tallahassee Democrat on March 15. The article focuses on Marsy’s Law, a constitutional amendment approved by Florida voters in 2018 that grants certain rights to crime victims but cannot be used to hide the identities of law enforcement who use deadly force. However, the Tallahassee Police Department is refusing to identify officers involved in a deadly shooting. According to Cuillier, the public’s interest in this case far outweighs the privacy interest of…

Category: Brechner News
Tagged as: Brechner Freedom of Information Project, David Cuillier, Marsy's Law, Sunshine Week

Posted: March 15, 2024

David Cuillier, director of the Brechner Freedom of Information Project, is the author of “Growing Secrecy Limits Government Accountability” published on theconversation.com on March 11. In the article, Cuillier focuses on how government agencies are increasingly hiding their work from the public and how this behavior can have significant ramifications. Cuillier writes, “For decades, journalists and civic activists have lamented the increasing secrecy of government. They were denied government information, particularly from public records requests. Reports have shown secrecy getting worse at the federal, state and local government levels.” According to Cuillier, “Access to government records helps people research their family…

Category: Brechner News
Tagged as: Brechner Freedom of Information Project, David Cuillier, FOI, FOIA, public records, Sunshine Week

Posted: March 11, 2024

David Cuillier, director of the Brechner Freedom of Information Project, is quoted in “Sunny State Turned Cloudy: A Boca Raton Lawsuit Illustrates ‘Erosion’ of Florida’s Public Records Law” published in the South Florida Sun Sentinel on March 10. The article focuses on Florida’s Sunshine Law requiring government meetings and documents to be open to the public, unless the law carves out a specific exemption. But while making a public records request is something anyone in Florida can do, hiring a team of lawyers to make sure the government fulfills the request is not. According to Cuillier, the case comes at a…

Category: Brechner News
Tagged as: David Cuillier, FOI, FOIA, investigative reporting, public records, Sunshine Week

Posted: March 9, 2024

David Cuillier, director of the Brechner Freedom of Information Project, and Mickey Nall, University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications (UFCJC) Public Relations professional-in-residence, are quoted in “HCA North Florida Hospital: ‘BOLO’ for Mainstreet Journalist” published in Gainesville, Florida’s Mainstreet Daily News on Feb. 29. The article focuses on a “Be on the lookout” or BOLO notice issued by HCA North Florida Hospital indicating that hospital staff should contact security if they see Mainstreet Daily News correspondent Gary Nelson. Nelson has been reporting on recent elective surgery disruptions due to sterile processing equipment issues. Cuillier said he has never seen a BOLO sign…

Category: Brechner News
Tagged as: Brechner Freedom of Information Project, David Cuillier, Florida, Freedom of the Press, public relations

Posted: March 9, 2024

David Cuillier, director of the Brechner Freedom of Information Project, is quoted in “Volusia Sheriff’s Office Leaves News-Journal Off Invitation List to Press Conference” published in The Daytona Beach News Journal on March 5. The story focuses on Volusia Sheriff Mike Chitwood who has repeatedly not invited The Daytona Beach News Journal to an important press conference. According to Cuillier, Chitwood is wrong to blackball a member of the press. “On the surface, it just seems really petty and contrary to good public policy,” Cuillier said. “The idea is to get information out to the public, and public officials shouldn’t be…

Category: Brechner News
Tagged as: Brechner Freedom of Information Project, David Cuillier, Florida, Freedom of the Press

Posted: March 9, 2024

David Cuillier, director of the Brechner Freedom of Information Project, is quoted in “Patchwork of ‘Broken’ Systems for Resolving Open Records Disputes Exists Across U.S. States” published on The Huntsville (Alabama) Item’s website on March 7. The article focuses on nurse Dana Holladay-Hollified’s quest to find out the salaries of hospital executives where she works. The hospital is governed by a public board and therefore subject to Alabama’s open records law. After months of no response to her public records request, she had to decide if she would sue to the get the information or give up. “Unfortunately, in the United…

Category: Brechner News
Tagged as: Alabama, Brechner Freedom of Information Project, Dave Cuillier, public records