The Mark Landen Award for Democracy Through Journalism is awarded every year to a media professional, in recognition of their work in advancing an informed society and strengthening democracy through journalism. 

Will Brown is an award-winning journalist with Jacksonville Today, the digital arm of WJCT Public Media, where he reports on race, poverty, and structural inequality. His parents were avid readers and news consumers; their example spurred Will into serving as a journalist in Texas and Florida for nearly 20 years.

He began at WJCT as a Report for America corps member, covering pivotal stories such as the impact of congressional redistricting on Black voters, the Grand Park mass shooting, and the lasting effects of redlining in Jacksonville. Previously, he reported for the Jacksonville Business Journal, where he chronicled CSX’s largest acquisition in decades, and for the St. Augustine Record, where he expanded coverage of women’s sports and honored the class of 2020 despite pandemic disruptions. 

Earlier in his career, Will worked as a sports reporter for the Victoria Advocate and a business reporter for the Tallahassee Democrat during the Great Recession. A highlight of his career was documenting his 2010 trip to South Africa for the men’s World Cup for the Democrat, which was inspired by his reading of Nelson Mandela’s Long Walk to Freedom. 

A Florida native and proud third-generation Florida A&M Rattler, Will also holds a master’s degree from the University of South Florida. He is a devoted husband to Whitney, father to Ben, and dog dad to Finchicus.