Stephenville, Texas– Dan Malone, newly hired instructor of journalism at Tarleton State University, was recently chosen as a co-recipient of the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas’ James Madison Award of 2006. Malone and his colleagues won the award for the “Light of Day” project that involved journalism students from across Texas.

Malone, along with Gayle Reaves, editor of the Forth Worth Weekly, and Craig Flournoy, journalism professor from Southern Methodist University (SMU), 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 Tarleton, the University of North Texas, the University of Texas at Arlington, Texas Christian University and SMU. 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. 

According to Malone, “The list of previous recipients is humbling.”

Malone joined Tarleton in the fall of 2006 as instructor of journalism. He previously worked at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Dallas Morning News and the Fort Worth Weekly.  Malone is the co-recipient of the 1992 Pulitizer Prize for Investigative Journalism, as well as many other awards.

For more information, visit the FOIFT Web site regarding the award at: http://www.foift.org/06PRJMARecipients.html.