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Digital Journalist's Legal Guide
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Everything online journalists need to protect their legal rights. This free resource culls from all Reporters Committee resources and includes exclusive content on digital media law issues.

News

Format: 2013-05-24
Format: 2013-05-24
Ark. Supreme Court reverses lower court decision that state open meetings law was unconstitutional
December 7, 2012
The Arkansas Supreme Court on Thursday overturned a lower court’s decision that the open meetings provisions of the state’s Freedom of Information Act is unconstitutional, stating that questions about how the law applies to changes in technology and other concerns should be taken to the legislature, not the court. But the Supreme Court also upheld the circuit court’s ruling that local government officials did not violate the Act when an administrator met with city board members in a series of one-on-one meetings.
New York court dismisses libel suit against the New York Daily News
December 7, 2012
A New York judge this week dismissed a libel lawsuit by a Brooklyn judge against the New York Daily News and one of its former columnists.
Study finds more than half of federal agencies' FOIA rules do not meet legal requirements
December 4, 2012
More than 60 percent of federal agencies have not responded to calls by Congress or President Barack Obama to update their Freedom of Information Act regulations, according to a National Security Archive report released today.
Federal judge criticizes immigration agency's response to FOIA request
December 3, 2012
Attorneys seeking records from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services hope that a strongly worded opinion released recently by a federal judge criticizing the agency for failing to quickly and adequately respond to a federal Freedom of Information Act request will push the agency to change how it responds to other FOIA requests.
Judiciary Committee approves "overdue" e-mail privacy bill
December 3, 2012
The Senate Judiciary Committee Friday unanimously approved a “very overdue” bill that would require law enforcement officials to get a warrant before accessing e-mail messages, updating a dated privacy law. The proposed amendments are historic and will create a consistent method for handling government access to online communications, said Sophia Cope, director of government affairs at the Newspaper Association of America. But the measure likely won’t go to the Senate this year, forcing the process to start over again next year, she said.
Wis. judge denies Justice Department's request to subpoena journalists
November 30, 2012
In the first ruling under Wisconsin’s new shield law, a judge denied the state Department of Justice’s request to subpoena three journalists who reported on a farmer’s alleged criminal conduct . The justice department was unable to show that the information they seek is unobtainable from other sources, as required by the 2010 law, said Sauk County Judge Guy Reynolds. But Reynolds, who ruled from the bench Thursday, added that he would reconsider the subpoenas if the state's other witnesses contradict the journalists' reports.
Ark. Supreme Court hears arguments over definition of public meeting
November 29, 2012
The Arkansas Supreme Court on Thursday expressed frustration that the state's open meetings law contains no definition for what constitutes a public meeting, forcing the court to define the statute's limits each time a new challenge arises. In oral arguments in McCutchen v. Fort Smith, the central issue in the case is whether an administrator's action of scheduling a series of individual meetings with members of the city's board of directors to discuss a memo he prepared constituted a meeting under the state's Freedom of Information Act.
University of Colorado releases some Holmes records
November 28, 2012
Despite a judge recently modifying a gag order in the case of alleged theater shooter James Holmes, journalists are having a difficult time accessing records to report on the high-profile case. “We get lots of tiny bits and pieces and have to paste these parts together to make sense out of what seems like a senseless mass shooting,” Denver reporter Rick Sallinger said.
Federal courts have power to review classification decisions, government brief confirms
November 28, 2012
Government attorneys confirmed on Tuesday that federal courts have the right under the federal Freedom of Information Act to review agency decisions to classify documents when invoking the law's national security exemption.
Kentucky judge upholds rule preventing contact with federal jurors
November 27, 2012
A Kentucky federal judge recently allowed media contact with jurors in a hate crime case, but denied the newspaper's attempt to strike down a local rule that normally prevents interaction with jurors in a federal trial.
U.S. Supreme Court declines to hear case on taping Illinois cops
November 26, 2012
The U.S. Supreme Court announced Monday that it will not hear an appeal of a case involving the open recording of police officers in Illinois while on the job.
Journalists now allowed to tweet, live blog from Utah courtrooms
November 20, 2012
The Utah Supreme Court on Monday approved a rule that will allow journalists to tweet, live stream and blog from the courtroom for the first time in the state's history. The rule, which goes into effect April 1, permits the media to use laptops, cell phones and cameras in court and makes Utah’s notoriously restrictive courtrooms some of the most accessible.
Google's latest transparency report shows government surveillance on the rise in U.S.
November 19, 2012
Paula Broadwell isn’t the only person whose Gmail messages were read by government officials – Google received almost 8,000 e-mail access requests from U.S. state and federal governments in the past six months, according to the latest Google Transparency Report. Google fully or partially granted 90 percent of the requests made by federal, state and local U.S. governments, according to the report. The requests by stateside governments account for more than a third of requests worldwide.
Chicago officials violate strict eavesdropping law
November 13, 2012
Chicago City Hall officials violated Illinois' strict eavesdropping law when they ‘inadvertently’ recorded conversations with Chicago Tribune reporters without their consent. The Tribune sent the city a letter Friday demanding that officials stop secretly recording conversations with reporters. The newspaper also requested copies of the recorded conversations.
Kansas Supreme Court allows live streaming, tweeting from state courtrooms
November 8, 2012
An amendment to Kansas court rules now lets journalists use laptops and cell phones to report from the courtroom. Reporters still need permission from the presiding judge, but the recent amendment to Rule 1001 clarifies that such devices may be used by journalists. Before the amendment was added, there was no mention of laptops or smartphones in the rule, and judges assumed such devices were not permitted, according to court spokesman Ron Keefover.