Journalists: help us help you!

The Reporters Committee has been a strong advocate for the First Amendment and Freedom of Information rights of the news media for more than 40 years now. Even back in those early days, when the “press” meant newspaper, television and radio reporters, we helped all journalists, including photographers, editorial cartoonists, and freelancers in any medium.

Now, as the news media landscape continues to evolve, we want to hear from journalists — regardless of who they work for or where their work appears — who face legal hurdles while reporting the news. Citizen journalists facing access roadblocks, bloggers of all types who can’t get to the news they want to cover — we want to hear from you.

Please leave a comment below about the type of issues you think journalists — especially new journalists who do not have the backing of a large media company — need to know about. (You may want to look over our First Amendment Handbook to see if it’s already been covered.) All topics are valid — credentialing, use of copyrighted material, dealing with police officers at emergency scenes, etc. Let us know where you think the big problems are for journalists today.

P.S. If you have a specific legal question, don’t post it here — contact us by phone (800-336-4243) or at hotline[at]rcfp.org directly, and we’ll be happy to help you understand the law.

The Reporters Committee regularly files friend-of-the-court briefs and its attorneys represent journalists and news organizations pro bono in court cases that involve First Amendment freedoms, the newsgathering rights of journalists and access to public information. Stay up-to-date on our work by signing up for our monthly newsletter and following us on Twitter or Instagram.