Survey: Statehouse reporters face growing pushback and shrinking resources

Rick Hirsch, director, Collier Prize for State Government Accountability, College of Journalism and Communications, University of Florida (Photo credit: Rick Hirsch)

State and local touches everybody. It has the biggest impact on what’s happening in your neighborhood, your school, what kind of access you have to institutions. This is about highlighting and elevating this kind of work and inspiring more of it.”

Rick Hirsch

According to a new national survey released this spring by the Collier Prize for State Government Accountability, journalists covering state government are facing mounting barriers to accessing public information. Though based on a small sample, the findings provide a snapshot of the pressures reporters face at a time when public trust is eroding and newsrooms are stretched thin.

The survey — the Collier Prize’s first — was sent to hundreds of local and state newsrooms and investigative reporters. Responses came from 51 journalists at large state or regional news organizations. Despite the small pool, Collier Prize Director Rick Hirsch, former managing editor of the Miami Herald, said the results show a system under strain.

“Much of what we found reflected my own experiences in newsrooms and what I know of what’s happening in the industry right now,” said Hirsch. “It really showed how widespread pushback is. [It includes] stiff arming, despite what the public records law may be, and the challenge that newsrooms face where they don’t necessarily have the resources they once did to march into court to fight a [records] denial.”

Key findings from the survey include:

• Two-thirds of reporters said they or a colleague had been excluded from briefings by officials, with 29% saying it had happened multiple times.
• 55% found it difficult to access public records via FOIA requests.
• 69% of reporters said the greatest challenge is lack of access to records or people.

Key findings from the Collier Prize’s first survey of local and state newsrooms and investigative reporters.

The survey was released alongside this year’s Collier Prize winners. The top prize went to The Associated Press for its series, Prison to Plate: Profiting off America’s Captive Workforce. It exposed abuses in the U.S. prison labor system and involved public records requests in all 50 states.

Administered by the University of Florida’s College of Journalism and Communications, the Collier Prize was established in 2019 to honor investigative and accountability journalism focused on state governments. The survey is its latest initiative, aimed at deepening understanding of reporters' challenges and informing future support.

Kristen Welker of NBC News’ “Meet the Press” presents the 2025 Collier Prize to Margie Mason of the AP. (Photo credit: Rick Hirsch)

Hirsch said he hopes to find partnerships to expand its reach and engagement in the months ahead. “We have a three-pronged strategy,” explained Hirsch. “We have the prize, and we’ll have the survey to learn more about what’s happening. And then we’ll have an annual symposium where there will be deeper discussion and workshops to help reporters navigate the challenges in accountability reporting at the state level.”

The motivation for the survey was not only to inform the field but to guide the Collier Prize’s investments in training and support. “Where do we need to invest the resources when we do the symposium? What kind of workshops? What do people want and need to know more about?” Hirsch said.

This year’s survey was a “beta” effort to gauge attitudes and needs among journalists in this fast-changing media environment. A more comprehensive version will be released alongside the Collier Prize symposium planned for November, with annual updates thereafter.

“State and local touches everybody. It has the biggest impact on what’s happening in your neighborhood, your school, what kind of access you have to institutions,” said Hirsch. “This is about highlighting and elevating this kind of work and inspiring more of it.”

Diane Sylvester is an award-winning 30-year multimedia news veteran. She works as a reporter, editor and newsroom strategist. She can be reached at diane.povcreative@gmail.com.