FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT Justin Silverman | 774.244.2365 | justin@nefac.org
WALLACK
The New England First Amendment Coalition will honor reporter Todd Wallack of The Boston Globe with its 2018 Michael Donoghue Freedom of Information Award. The FOI Award is presented annually to New England journalists who protect or advance the public’s right to know under federal or state law.
Wallack will be honored for his body of work from last year that included stories about online accessibility to criminal records, transparency within the MBTA and the overuse of certain public record law exemptions to keep information secret.
NEW ENGLAND FIRST AMENDMENT AWARDS February 23, 2018 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. Renaissance Boston Waterfront Hotel
His reporting led to a lawsuit by The Boston Globe to compel the release of mugshots and arrest reports and he exposed the reluctance of state officials to share details of investigations that have grown cold.
“Todd is a relentless advocate for the public’s right to know,” said Justin Silverman, NEFAC’s executive director. “His persistent, dogged reporting on freedom of information concerns has raised the bar for public-interest journalism.”
The FOI Award will be presented at NEFAC’s New England First Amendment Awards luncheon from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. on Feb. 23 at the Renaissance Boston Waterfront Hotel.
During the luncheon, Jane Mayer of The New Yorker will be honored with the Stephen Hamblett First Amendment Award. Ed Harding of WCVB-Boston is the master of ceremonies.
The New England First Amendment Awards luncheon is part of the New England Newspaper & Press Association‘s winter convention. Tickets can be purchased here.
Sponsors, table hosts and other supporters include WBUR, WCVB, The Boston Globe, Boston University, Boston 25 News, Northeastern University, University of New Hampshire, Roger Williams University, Prince Lobel Tye LLP, Saint Michael’s College and the University of Rhode Island.
A graduate of Northwestern University, Wallack has worked for The Boston Globe since 2007. He is currently an investigative reporter for the Globe’s Spotlight Team, specializing in data journalism, public records and financial reporting.
Wallack has won national awards from Scripps Howard and the Sigma Delta Chi Foundation for his work on public records and has been a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize three times.
Prior to his time at the the Globe, Wallack spent much of his career as a business reporter and worked for the San Francisco Chronicle, Boston Herald, Boston Business Journal, Network World, and the Dayton (Ohio) Daily news.
NEFAC was formed in 2006 to advance and protect the Five Freedoms of the First Amendment, including the principle of the public’s right to know. We’re a broad-based organization of people who believe in the power of an informed democratic society. Our members include lawyers, journalists, historians, academics and private citizens.
Our coalition is funded through contributions made by those who value the First Amendment and who strive to keep government accountable. Please make a donation here.
Major Supporters of NEFAC include the Barr Foundation, The Providence Journal Charitable Legacy Fund, The Robertson Foundation, Lois Howe McClure, The Boston Globe and Boston University. Celebration Supporters include The Hartford Courant and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.