Maybe you pried some tightly held public documents from an information officer’s grasp. Or your investigation led to a bombshell revelation about a police department’s practices. Perhaps you drew attention to a particularly troublesome open meetings violation, or flagged flagrant law-breaking by a local government body.
We want to hear from you!
Nominations are now open for the First Amendment Coalition’s Free Speech & Open Government Awards. These annual awards honor the year’s best contributions towards the advancement of open government and freedom of expression and information.
This includes — but is not limited to — access to public meetings, public records, the courts, and government data; defense of citizens’ right to speak or protest; defense of journalists’ rights; and defense of the right to blow the whistle on government misconduct.
Contest rules:
- This is a national contest. Tell us how this work made an impact and where the impact was felt.
- There is no fee to enter.
- There is no limit to the number of nominations submitted by any person or organization.
- Self-nominations are encouraged!
- Nominations must be for work done and/or results achieved from Jan. 1, 2023 to Dec. 31, 2023.
Questions? Write to award@firstamendmentcoalition.org.
Previous winners include an investigative reporter who discovered the local jails were secretly recording calls between incarcerated individuals and their attorneys; a coalition of journalists who collaborate to access and analyze police misconduct records in California; and a citizen activist. Learn more about past winners.
Please use this form to submit a nomination. The deadline for nominations is 11:59 PM PT on January 26, 2024. Award winners will receive $1,000 and a certificate. Winners will be announced on February 26.