NOTUS’ Dave Levinthal Wins Government Accountability Reporting Award

NOTUS Senior Editor Dave Levinthal has won a 2026 Folio Award in the category of government accountability reporting for his series of revelatory articles about President Donald Trump’s rush to rename the Gulf of Mexico.

Levinthal combined shoe-leather reporting with government records obtained through the Freedom of Information Act to tell narrative tales about how government officials withheld information about the “Gulf of America” renaming process from the public and press, grappled with a public relations crisis, managed administration infighting and rushed to pressure federal agencies and private companies alike to adopt the name change.

The Fair Media Council, which sponsors the Folio Awards, presented Levinthal with his award Thursday at a ceremony in New York.

Folio Awards judges praised Levinthal’s series as an “excellent behind-the-scenes look at how edicts actually get implemented — or not.”

“We are proud to see Dave’s work recognized by the Folio Awards,” said NOTUS Managing Editor Matt Berman. “Dave is tirelessly committed to revealing what really happens inside our government, and we’re lucky to get to feature that work.”

NOTUS reporters frequently file Freedom of Information Act and state-level open records requests in an effort to obtain government records the public may never otherwise see. NOTUS has used public records laws to obtain data and documents that exclusively shed light on:

• Efforts to gut federal “forever chemical” regulations

• Misgivings within a key government agency about Trump’s 2024 election

• A federal directive to shut down airspace in and around El Paso, Texas, without warning or explanation

• Virginia’s lieutenant governor misrepresenting her work schedule

NOTUS has also reported on the increasing ineffectiveness of FOIA law itself.

And in March, NOTUS sued the U.S. Agency for International Development, arguing that the agency is illegally withholding public records subject to FOIA. The case is pending in federal court.

For press inquiries, email communications manager Thuy Lan Nguyen: ThuyLanNguyen@notus.com