FOI Oklahoma’s 2026 award winners, Black Hole recipient to be recognized at Oklahoma Local News Summit
Two local journalists, a private citizen, a Republican state lawmaker and the deputy general counsel for the Oklahoma Attorney General’s office are winners of the 2026 Freedom of Information Oklahoma Awards. FOI Oklahoma also bestowed its Black Hole Award on public officials for signing non-disclosure agreements with data center developers.
The FOI Oklahoma awards will be officially presented during the First Amendment Congress at the inaugural Oklahoma Local News Summit Friday, Oct. 23, in Tulsa. This one-day celebration of local news and the public’s right to know is a nonprofit fundraiser, training event and three-way awards ceremony presented by FOI Oklahoma, the Oklahoma Media Center and the Oklahoma Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. Visit tinyurl.com/oklasummit26 for details.
Winners were selected by the FOI awards committee that included Brianna Bailey, managing editor of The Frontier; Brian Ted Jones, an Oklahoma City-based attorney; Jake Ramsey, reporter for Oklahoma Watch and Mark Thomas, executive vice president of the Oklahoma Press Association.
Here are this year’s recipients:
Marion Opala First Amendment Award: Joe Hight
FOI Oklahoma recognizes Joe Hight for his steadfast support of the First Amendment and lifetime of achievement with our award named for the late Oklahoma Supreme Court justice. Hight has been a reporter, columnist, director and editor over the course of his journalism career. His work and leadership have garnered local, state, regional and national awards, including national SPJ and Associated Press Managing Editors awards for innovation and First Amendment causes and a Pulitzer Prize when he was editor of The Gazette in Colorado Springs. Hight is a co-founder of the Global Center for Journalism and Trauma that came after his work leading the victims’ team at The Oklahoman in the aftermath of the Oklahoma City bombing. He has also written two non-fiction books and co-owned an award-winning independent bookstore with family members. Hight previously served as an endowed chair of journalism ethics at the University of Central Oklahoma and director of the Oklahoma Journalism Hall of Fame. He now serves as the current chairperson of the Journalism Hall of Fame board.
Ben Blackstock Award: Jarrett Freeman
FOI Oklahoma has awarded IT professional Jarrett Freeman the Ben Blackstock Award. Named after the former OPA executive director, this award recognizes a non-governmental person or organization who has shown a commitment to freedom of information. Freeman, who started the deflockokc.com website to learn more about OKC’s Flock Safety usage, filed open records requests with the City of Oklahoma City to learn more about the usage of automated cameras that read license plates. Oklahoma City began with Flock in 2023. The company claims to solve crimes more quickly, but critics consider the public safety technology to be an intrusive form of mass surveillance.
Bickham-Hale Service Award: Jennifer Gilliland
Jennifer Gilliland is the winner of this year’s Bickham-Hale Service Award. Named after FOI Oklahoma’s founder Sue Hale and longtime executive director Kay Bickham, this award’s fundamental purpose is to recognize service to the FOI community.
Gilliland is a past president of FOI Oklahoma, serves on the executive committee of the Oklahoma Journalism Hall of Fame, and has been the Oklahoma Press Association’s director of creative services for over 43 years. Gilliland is commended for her stalwart and stellar service as the driving force behind OPA’s “Open Meeting & Records Book,” which has been distributed to tens of thousands of journalists and public officials during her 43-year tenure at OPA. She has also been editor of “The Oklahoma Publisher” for 33 years.
“There isn't a journalist in Oklahoma who hasn't used that book as their daily guide to the Oklahoma Meeting Act and Open Records Act,” Thomas said. “Every attorney general since Larry Derryberry keeps of a copy of the book she has produced on their desk.”
Sunshine Awards: John Pfeiffer, Thomas Schneider
This year FOI Oklahoma recognizes two individuals with Sunshine Awards. The award recognizes public officials who have worked to promote government transparency. State Rep. John Pfeiffer, R-Orlando, penned legislation to enforce open records laws. House Bill 2163 established the Public Access Counselor Unit inside the Oklahoma Attorney General’s office that allows citizens to report potential open records law violations.
Thomas Schneider, deputy general counsel at the Oklahoma Attorney General’s office, provides training sessions statewide open meeting and open records laws. Schneider led the OPA's free open meetings and records seminars — 29 of them — in the last six years.
Black Hole Award: Public Officials Signing NDAs
FOI Oklahoma has awarded this year’s dubious Black Hole Award to public officials who have signed non-disclosure agreements with data center developers. These agreements thwart the free flow of information to the public about new developments in their communities. City officials across the state have entered into these agreements. After signing NDAs, some city officials arranged one-on-one meetings with developers to avoid public meeting requirements. Other cities have approved land annexations or contracts without telling the public about plans for a data center.