Issues and free press topics
The Reporters Committee’s work on behalf of journalists spans a variety of issues, from education to immigration to tech, as well as free press topics, such as freedom of information and court access. Below, find a list of categories to explore related content in that area.
Content restrictions
Content restrictions include government efforts to ban the publication of certain information and laws that limit First Amendment protections for speech.
Court access
From unsealing documents to ensuring journalists can cover proceedings, the public has a right to know what’s happening in the courts.
Education
RCFP attorneys help journalists challenge secret school board meetings and unearth records on school policies, administrator discipline, and more.
Environment
Whether it's obtaining records from government agencies to legal battles revealing corporate water usage, RCFP attorneys fuel environmental journalism.
Freedom of information
The federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and similar state laws give the press and public the right to obtain records from government entities.
Health
RCFP attorneys have helped fuel investigations into a state health agency’s botched response to Medicaid fraud, medical marijuana programs, and more.
Immigration
RCFP attorneys help journalists navigate immigration coverage, fight access restrictions in the courts, and represent newsrooms seeking deportation records.
Libel and privacy
Journalists are often the targets of libel/privacy suits due to their reporting. Frivolous efforts intended to silence speech can be fought with anti-SLAPP laws.
National security
RCFP advocates for press rights in national security contexts, and our attorneys help obtain records for reporting projects like a book on the Iraq War.
Newsgathering
Newsgathering is foundational to journalism, but the process of collecting information and perspectives for coverage often runs up against legal issues.
Policing and corrections
RCFP attorneys fight for police bodycam footage and other records, enabling reporters to provide accountability coverage of law enforcement and jails.
Politics and elections
RCFP helps journalists navigate election coverage, and our attorneys provide free legal support to reporters covering politics at all levels of government.
Prior restraint
Government orders that prohibit journalists from publishing information that they already have are one of the most serious threats to press freedom.
Reporter's privilege
Under "shield laws," journalists have a limited right to protect their sources and materials when facing subpoenas and government searches and seizures.
Tech
In addition to advocating for the news media in internet law matters, RCFP attorneys provide free legal support to journalists who cover the tech sector.