Each year, an advisory committee selects a topic that lends itself to a long investigative series. Students at participating universities submit Texas Public Information Act requests to various governmental agencies depending on that semester's topic.
After the data has been collected, all of the components are gathered from each university and compiled into a database where it can be studied and developed into full investigative stories. Students can either work jointly between universities or each university can use the data to develop its own stories relevant to its local community. The students and faculty employ state and federal freedom of information laws to explore various angles. FOIFT provides legal and logistical support. This not only gives the students the experience of the reporting process, but it also provides them with an opportunity to network and meet with potential employers.
The Light of Day Project is a perfect fit for the ideals of the FOIFT, which focus on education about the Texas Public Information and Open Meetings Acts and helping to protect the rights guaranteed by the First Amendment. The Foundation believes the education provided in the Light of Day Project is invaluable to those involved in understanding the issues and concepts behind public information.
Student journalists involved with the Light of Day Project have won multiple awards for their investigative stories. The FOIFT is proud to be a part of a project that not only teaches future journalists how to obtain and use public information to develop stories, but most importantly, it gets them excited about being watch dogs for society and bringing about change.
The Light of Day Project: What is it?