The Dallas Morning News has won a 2026 Spirit of FOI Award from the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas for an investigation that exposed failures in a crime-fighting program at the Dallas Housing Authority.
The newspaper received the award in the Class AA category, which recognizes news organizations in markets with populations of 500,000 or more, according to a news release.
The News’ series used police reports, internal emails and letters from federal housing regulators to examine how the Dallas Housing Authority addressed crime at the Roseland apartment complex. The reporting revealed a gap between what officials promised and what they delivered, contest judges said.
“This honor recognizes our journalists’ dogged determination to shine a light on a broken system that had largely operated out of public view,” said Colleen McCain Nelson, executive editor of The News.
“Every day, we strive to serve our readers through exclusive reporting and accountability journalism, and we’re proud to see this work honored by the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas,” McCain Nelson said.
The Nancy Monson Spirit of FOI Awards recognize Texas news organizations that use open government laws and uphold First Amendment rights through their journalism.
The award was presented Friday at the foundation’s state conference in Austin.