Reporters Committee Welcomes First Look Media Technology Fellow
Jennifer Henrichsen has joined Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press as the organizations’ first technology fellow. The fellowship is supported by a grant from First Look Media to assist the Reporters Committee in developing a strategic approach to addressing technology issues related to press freedom. As the First Look Media Technology Fellow, Henrichsen will serve as an advisor and researcher on issues including digital security, government surveillance, and the future of media.
“We are very pleased to welcome Jenn as our first technologist. Technology and First Amendment legal issues increasingly overlap in this age of digital media, and thanks to the grant from First Look Media, this fellowship will enable the Reporters Committee to meet both the changing needs of our existing partners as well as the emerging requirements of new forms of online journalism,” said Reporters Committee Executive Director Bruce D. Brown.
Among her responsibilities, Henrichsen will work with Reporters Committee staff attorneys, legal fellows, media company partners, and other free press organizations to identify key technology issues and their impact on journalism and First Amendment rights. She will also develop resources for journalists regarding the use of encryption and digital security tools and other technologies to protect confidentiality and First Amendment freedoms.
The $100,000 grant from First Look Media – the news organization created by Pierre Omidyar – was part of a series of grants to organizations at the forefront of integrating freedom of the press with technology.
Prior to joining the Reporters Committee, Henrichsen was research and program coordinator for “Journalism After Snowden” and a research fellow at Columbia University’s Tow Center for Digital Journalism. She has been a consultant to UNESCO, where she carried out a research project about digital security issues facing journalists, and has worked as a strategic communications consultant at Hattaway Communications in Washington, D.C and as a research assistant at the Open Society Foundations.
A Fulbright Research Scholar, Henrichsen was awarded a bachelor’s degree with honors from Pacific Lutheran University and an Advanced Masters in International and European Security with honors from the University of Geneva and the Geneva Center for Security Policy. She is co-author of the book, War on Words: Who Should Protect Journalists?
About the Reporters Committee
The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press was founded by leading journalists and media lawyers in 1970, at a time when the nation’s news media faced a wave of government subpoenas asking reporters to name confidential sources. Today it provides pro bono legal advocacy, resources, and support to protect First Amendment freedoms and the newsgathering rights of journalists. Funded by corporate, foundation, and individual contributions, the Reporters Committee serves the nation’s leading news organizations; thousands of reporters, editors, and media lawyers; and many more who use our online and mobile resources. For more information, go to www.rcfp.org, or follow us on Twitter @rcfp.