The News Media and The Law

Disclosure of gun permits leads to backlash on access

Federal FOIA Appeals Guide now online

The Reporters Committee introduces a comprehensive, online guide to appealing federal Freedom of Information Act requests to help journalists navigate the administrative process.

@rcfp

Reporters Committee letter prompts judge to issue redacted opinion in sealed DC corruption case. http://t.co/pIr6l6UgTB @rcfp
#WhiteHouse, lawmakers push for federal reporter shield law in wake of @AP phone records seizure, @rcfp reports. http://t.co/1ALuLMYC49
RT @sunshineingov: SGI Statement on the Justice Department obtaining AP phone records http://t.co/LX3IvmYcPP

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Media organizations call on Justice Department to mitigate damage from broad subpoena of journalists' phone records. (AP photo)
Reporters Committee and 42 news organizations argue that New York law should protect reporter in Colorado shooting case
05/17/2013
The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, joined by 42 other news organizations and associations, argued in a friend-of-the-court brief that a New York court should not have allowed a Colorado subpoena to be served on a Fox News reporter in...
D.C. appeals court issues redacted opinion in sealed corruption case
05/16/2013
A federal appeals court unsealed a redacted version of an opinion Thursday in a high-profile but secretive Washington, D.C. corruption case, in response to a letter from the Reporters Committee.
White House, lawmakers push for federal reporter shield law in wake of AP phone records seizure
05/15/2013
Three lawmakers announced this week they were planning to revive legislation establishing a federal reporter shield law, just days after it was revealed the U.S. Justice Department secretly obtained two months’ worth of phone records from the...
Justice Department defends decisions in secret seizure of AP phone records as criticism mounts
05/14/2013
Deputy Attorney General James M. Cole responded to the controversy over the Associated Press phone records subpoena today, unapologetically defending the Department of Justice's secret subpoenas for the records of more than 20 separate telephone...
Media organizations call on Justice Department to mitigate damage from broad subpoena of journalists' phone records
05/14/2013
The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and major news organizations are calling on the U.S. Justice Department to return secretly subpoenaed phone records of more than 100 Associated Press journalists, to explain how such an egregious...

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The Place to Start

The Digital Journalist's Legal Guide has the answers and links to Reporters Committee resources for all your questions about the legal issues involved in gathering and disseminating news.

FOIA Services

Find everything you need to file a public record request, including the Reporters Committtee Automatic FOIA Letter Generator, our federal and state Open Government Guides, and our Federal FOIA Appeals Guide.

 

 

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