Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press

The Reporters Committee and The Washington Post are?asking?two federal district courts to unseal judicial records that could help shed further light on a now-closed federal government investigation into allegations that Egypt sought to financially support the first presidential campaign of Donald Trump. There is an “overwhelming public interest” in unsealing the additional information, the Reporters Committee and The Post argue. Lifting the veil of secrecy in these cases would provide the public with a more complete picture of the investigation and help assure the public that the government pursued and ultimately closed it in an impartial manner.

The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press has been a driving force in protecting journalists' rights and defending them in their pursuit of informing the public and keeping public officials in check. The Youngstown Press Club will welcome Attorney Gunita Singh, who will share with us what the Reporters Committee is doing to help journalists and what local reporters can do to access records and information under the law. Join us on Oct. 17 at the Youngstown Historical Center of Industry and Labor for lunch and Gunita's talk. Advance reservations are required. Tickets are $35 or $30 for YPC members. https://lnkd.in/eCzTc4Nu

The Reporters Committee's Colorado Local Legal Initiative is helping newsrooms fight important public records cases all the way to the state’s highest court. The Colorado Supreme Court recently?accepted?a case?brought by Sentinel Colorado?seeking to obtain a recording of an unlawfully held secret meeting related to the censure of an Aurora city councilwoman. That follows its decision in February to take up a separate case?brought by The Colorado Springs Gazette, LLC and Invisible Institute?in which the two newsrooms are?fighting for access?to records about law enforcement officers in Colorado. “Government denials of access will not go unchallenged,” said RCFP's Rachael Johnson, who litigated the cases.

The Ninth Circuit recently blocked California from enforcing a law that requires large social media platforms to report how they moderate especially controversial categories of speech, finding that certain provisions of the law violate the First Amendment. “The Ninth Circuit’s decision underlines that the government has no legitimate role in policing how private speakers decide which speech is fit to share with their audiences — one of the core constitutional principles on which the news media depends,” said Reporters Committee Staff Attorney Grayson Clary.

Need help covering the 2024 election? The Reporters Committee has created a one-stop shop of free resources to help journalists covering the 2024 elections better understand their legal rights and more fully report on the election process. The new Election 2024 page?highlights our 24/7 Legal Hotline, updated Election Legal Guide — with specific information on battleground states — and other resources to equip journalists and newsrooms to handle any challenges that might arise while covering elections at all levels.

A?jury recently found Robert Telles guilty?of murdering Las Vegas Review-Journal investigative reporter Jeff German in 2022, and sentenced him to life in prison with the possibility of parole. “Today a Clark County jury delivered a measure of justice for Jeff German, and we hope it brings some solace to his family, friends and colleagues,” Review-Journal Executive Editor Glenn Cook said in a statement after the verdict. Following German’s murder, the Reporters Committee filed multiple?friend-of-the-court briefs?in support of the Review-Journal’s?successful fight?to protect newsgathering materials contained in the journalist’s electronic devices, which law enforcement officials seized as part of their investigation into his killing.?Read the briefs here: https://lnkd.in/g8Nux3V6 And during last year’s?Freedom of the Press Awards, the Reporters Committee?honored?Cook, Review-Journal photographer Rachel Aston, and Washington Post reporter Lizzie Johnson for?finishing an investigation into an alleged Ponzi scheme?that German had started before he was murdered. See the honoree video here: https://lnkd.in/gKdZhSX7

After a?Spotlight PA investigation?revealed that some of Pennsylvania’s top medical marijuana doctors have a history of misconduct,?two state lawmakers said?they plan to propose legislation to strengthen the oversight process for doctors seeking authorization to issue medical marijuana cards. The investigation was based in part on data obtained through?successful litigation?with free legal support from Paula Knudsen Burke, the Reporters Committee’s Local Legal Initiative attorney for Pennsylvania. Reporter Ed Mahon spoke with the Reporters Committee about his latest story?and how Burke helped him obtain records that provided important insight into how the state's Department of Health uses its gatekeeping powers.

We're thrilled and honored that the Reporters Committee's Paula Knudsen Burke has been selected as the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association (PNA) 2024 Benjamin Franklin Award for Excellence recipient! The award recognizes individuals who have performed an outstanding service to their newspaper, to the news media industry in general, to his/her local community, or to the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association that reflected positively on the news media industry in Pennsylvania. Burke serves as the Reporters Committee's Pennsylvania Local Legal Initiative attorney, where she provides journalists across the state with pro bono legal services to pursue enterprise and investigative stories in their communities. https://lnkd.in/gd984PuC

On Thursday, ProJourn and the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY will hold an online training session?in Spanish?on the safety guidelines and information rights that Latino reporters and community journalists must consider when covering elections. Register for "Take Cover! Newsgathering Rights and Safety Tips for Community Journalists Covering the Elections" ?

I can't say enough how grateful I am to attorney Paula Knudsen Burke and the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. Paula represented me and Spotlight PA at no cost in three open records cases related to Pennsylvania's medical marijuana law. (Two of the cases were eventually consolidated into one.) We won a Commonwealth Court victory in 2022 over access to data showing why hundreds of thousands of patients qualify for a medical marijuana card in Pennsylvania. That case created new legal precedent — and that precedent last year allowed us to win access to data showing how often individual doctors approve patients. The investigations using these records have had an impact; most recently two lawmakers cited our work when they said they planned to introduce legislation to give greater oversight to the Department of Health when the agency decides which doctors to approve for the program. So here are three big things Paula and Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press helped make possible: 1.) We won access to the records. 2.) We won access to the records without having to pay attorney fees. 3.) Particularly in the doctor data case, we won access to the records more quickly than we might have without their involvement. https://lnkd.in/eJKpaCun