FOIFT Honors SMU Journalism Professor Craig Flournoy

[MrMustang1965]

SMU journalism professor Craig Flournoy was recently chosen as a co-recipient of the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas’ James Madison Award of 2006. Flournoy and his colleagues won the award for the “Light of Day” project that involved journalism students from across Texas.

Flournoy, along with Gayle Reaves, editor of the Forth Worth Weekly, and Dan Malone, newly hired instructor of journalism at Tarleton State University, are to be honored by the Freedom of Information Foundation (FOIFT) Friday, Sept. 8, 2006, at the group’s annual convention in Austin, Texas.

The Light of Day project involved journalism students from SMU, the University of North Texas, the University of Texas at Arlington, Texas Christian University and Tarleton State University. Students filed hundreds of open records requests with local law enforcement agencies on their use of Tasers and other non-lethal measures. The students then wrote stories about their findings, some of which were printed in the Fort Worth Weekly.

The FOIFT is a non-profit organization that strives to encourage, sponsor and facilitate a greater appreciation, knowledge and understanding of the First Amendment. Working to ensure the public's business is conducted in public, the FOIFT has successfully helped citizens access open meetings and documents that should be a matter of public record.

Past recipients of the James Madison Award include Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, folklorist John Henry Faulk, U.S. Senator John Cornyn, author Vanessa Leggett, former U.S. Rep. Barbara Jordan, Dallas Morning News investigative reporter and editor Howard Swindle, and former Lt. Gov. Bob Bullock.

[Kappas Are Yummy]

A great reporter and professor plus one of the dirtiest mouths I've ever encountered. His classes were always interesting.

[SMUtrojanFAN]

Flournoy's a great teacher. He was interesting, while still demanding hard work from his students. He had high expectations, but students always wanted to do a good job for him. You're right about his potty-mouth. It certainly kept everyone awake in class...even in a class as boring as Communication Law.