The AJC also on Monday received the 2019 Brechner Freedom of Information Award presented annually by the Joseph L. Brechner Center for Freedom of Information at the University of Florida.

"It's rare for a news organization to pour so much concentrated effort into making sure public-records laws are rigorously enforced," said UF media-law professor Frank D. LoMonte, director of the Brechner Center, in a press release. "The judges were impressed not just with the quality and depth of the AJC's reporting, but with how much positive change it brought about."

On April 16, the AJC and Channel 2 will be honored with the Atlanta Press Club's Impact Award for "exposing violations of Georgia's Open Records laws leading to Atlanta adopting a new transparency ordinance."

The AJC reporters involved were Stephen Deere, Dan Klepal, J. Scott Trubey and Kelly Yamanouchi. Channel 2 journalists included reporters Richard Belcher and Aaron Diamant and producer Terah Boyd.

The AJC and Channel 2 are both part of Cox Media Group. And I am a board member of the Atlanta Press Club.