The Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas works with colleges and universities across the state on the Light of Day project, aimed at giving journalism and other interested students practical experience working with open records to develop news stories.
The FOI Foundation provides guidance and resources to students in using open government laws, including Texas Public Information Act requests made with governmental agencies. FOIFT provides legal, logistical and informational support. Resources on subjects such as FERPA and Title IX are posted on this section of this website.
The Results
The Light of Day Project trains tomorrow’s journalists in effective use of public information laws to gather information. Students learn how to analyze and report data and get hands-on experience in crafting and filing open records requests. Student journalists involved with the Light of Day Project have won multiple awards for their investigative stories on topics ranging from Taser use on campus to Title IX funding and its effect on science and math faculty across the state.
Texas State University journalism students, above, described what they learned from Light of Day training in spring 2014.