Jason Leopold, senior reporter for Bloomberg News and government-described “FOIA Terrorist” is this year’s winner of the Brechner Freedom of Information Award for his tenacity and passion in acquiring public records. The award is administered by the Joseph L. Brechner Freedom of Information Project at the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications.
Leopold was selected among 27 entries representing the nation’s best public-records journalism. He has filed thousands of Freedom of Information Act requests through two decades of reporting. Not only does Leopold break news through FOIA, but he shares what he finds with the public and other reporters, including through a weekly email newsletter and the podcast Disclosure.
“The breadth of this work, and the impact on who Leopold is investigating, is staggering,” wrote one of the three judges, Francisco Vara-Orta, trainer and director of diversity and inclusion for Investigative Reporters and Editors. “He is the blueprint for strong open records reporting and not being scared to go to court with resources he has behind him. He also shares his expertise with other journalists regularly so he pays it forward in democratizing best practices beyond his outlet.”
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