The Dallas Morning News, KRIS 6 News in Corpus Christi win 2026 Spirit of FOI Awards

A series by The Dallas Morning News on a failed crime-fighting plan at the local housing authority and reporting by KRIS 6 News on questionable land deals and tax incentives involving the Corpus Christi Housing Authority have won this year’s Spirit of FOI Awards.

The Morning News won in the Class AA category for news outlets in markets with 500,000 population or larger, and KRIS 6 News won in the Class A category for markets under 500,000. The Houston Chronicle and KVIA-TV of El Paso received honorable mentions in the large-market category.

The Nancy Monson Spirit of FOI Awards, presented by the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas, go to news organizations that use or highlight open government laws and uphold First Amendment rights in producing outstanding journalism. The awards were presented Sept. 18 at the foundation’s state conference in Austin.

“Congratulations to the Texas journalists who are receiving these awards. They used public records combined with other reporting to seek the truth and shine light on institutions and officials in their communities. This keeps citizens informed so they can watch over their government,” said Kelley Shannon, executive director of the FOI Foundation of Texas.

The Dallas Morning News’ series relied on police reports, internal emails and letters from federal housing regulators to demonstrate a broken system in which housing authorities ignored their own rules for handling crime. The series exposed a gap between what authorities promised and what they actually did, the contest judge noted.

In Corpus Christi, KRIS 6 News’ “deep reporting and tireless follow-ups helped unearth a scandal involving dubious land deals and generous tax incentives. The backbone of that stellar reporting: public records,” the judge said.

KVIA-TV in El Paso received an honorable mention for unearthing a hazing and inappropriate physical misconduct scandal involving a local high school football team. The Houston Chronicle received an honorable mention for its reporting on Houston police cooperating with ICE.

The Nancy Monson Spirit of FOI Award is named for the FOI Foundation’s first executive director. The contest is open to Texas newspaper, broadcast and online journalism outlets. Founded in 1978, the nonprofit foundation promotes open government and protects the First Amendment rights of free speech and free press.