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The Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas soon will award scholarships to journalism, photojournalism and law students for the 2026-27 academic year. The deadline to apply is Feb. 13, 2026. Applications can be found on the FOIFT website.
The Ralph Langer Scholarship is a $6,000 award presented to an undergraduate journalism or photojournalism student attending a Texas college or university. It honors Ralph Langer, who was executive editor and vice president of The Dallas Morning News and a leader of the FOI Foundation of Texas in its early years. His wife, Kathy Langer, created the scholarship.
The Joel White Scholarship is a $1,000 award that goes to a law school student in Texas who is interested in the areas of First Amendment law that White championed. White was an attorney and a former president of the FOI Foundation board, which established the scholarship in his memory.
Spread the word about these scholarships to students who may be interested. The FOI Foundation also continues to accept donations to help fund the scholarships.
Save the date: State conference is Sept. 18 The FOI Foundation of Texas annual state conference is set for Friday, Sept. 18, 2026, at the AT&T Hotel and Conference Center in Austin. The event features inspiring speakers discussing the latest trends in open government and free speech protections.
We will also honor the James Madison Award recipient and outstanding Texas journalists who win the Nancy Monson Spirit of FOI Award contest. Nominations can now be made for both awards. See the FOIFT.org website for more information.
And stay tuned for details on the conference agenda and registration.
First Amendment and FOI in the news Columbia Journalism Review recently reported that First Amendment Watch, a free speech group at New York University, has launched the SLAPP Back Initiative, a database to track all SLAPP cases in the nation. The CJR report notes that the SLAPP problem is worse than was previously known.
Strategic lawsuits against public participation, or SLAPPs, are frivolous lawsuits that attempt to silence journalists and others who are exercising their free speech rights. The database has already documented 500 SLAPP cases in 2024.
First Amendment attorney Laura Prather of Haynes Boone and the FOI Foundation of Texas board will deliver a TEDx talk Jan. 24 in Surrey, British Columbia, about the importance of free speech protections. Live stream tickets for the talk, “Free Speech is a Human Right,” are available here.
Cameron County officials are fighting a Texas Public Information Act request to release information about a company that has expressed interest in building a data center. The Valley Morning Star newspaper is seeking the information. The county is asking the Texas Attorney General’s Office to allow withholding records regarding Eneus Energy Inc.
