The National Freedom of Information Coalition joined a Dec. 15, 2021, Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press amici curiae brief. The brief, signed by 28 organizations, urges a federal appeals court to overrule a lower court that allowed Maine court clerks to delay public access to newly filed civil complaints. Maine’s recently implemented amendments […]
Tag: Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press (RCFP)
Timely access to COVID-19 information serves the public interest, Wisconsin brief argues
Third-party business groups have no valid legal basis to prevent the disclosure of COVID-19 outbreaks, and timely access to such information serves the public interest, especially during a pandemic. Those are key arguments in an amicus brief written by the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and signed by 12 organizations, including the National […]
Wanting to keep Google’s water use a secret, Oregon city sues news organization
A city in Oregon is suing a news organization, hoping to keep secret how much water Google will use to cool server farms. The city of The Dalles filed suit in state court in October 2021, seeking to overturn the ruling of a county district attorney, who said Google’s water use is a public record. […]
Read More… from Wanting to keep Google’s water use a secret, Oregon city sues news organization
NFOIC joins amicus brief supporting release of police internal affairs records in New Jersey
The National Freedom of Information Coalition and 23 other organizations joined a Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press amicus brief supporting the release of police internal affairs records in New Jersey. In July 2019, a retired New Jersey police officer submitted a New Jersey Open Public Records Act request seeking access to police internal […]
NFOIC signs brief, urging access to opinions of Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court
The National Freedom of Information Coalition, along with 30 other organizations, signed a Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press amicus brief in support of greater access to Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court opinions and orders. Several organizations in recent years have sought access to the specialized court’s opinions. In April 2021, the American Civil Liberties […]
Learn more about misunderstood law during ‘HIPAA and Public Records’ online lesson
Learn about the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA, one of the most misunderstood laws, with instructor Adam A. Marshall, a senior staff attorney with the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. “HIPAA and Public Records” is hosted by the New England First Amendment Coalition, as part of its 30 Minute Skills […]
Read More… from Learn more about misunderstood law during ‘HIPAA and Public Records’ online lesson
NFOIC signs brief urging release of New Jersey corrections officer’s settlement agreement
The National Freedom of Information Coalition, along with a dozen other organizations, joined a Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press amicus brief in a New Jersey case concerning access to settlement agreements between public employees and public agencies. Libertarians for Transparent Government sought a settlement agreement between a former corrections officer and Cumberland County, […]
Pennsylvania coalition to cohost discussion about challenges and successes of state’s transparency laws
The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and Pennsylvania Freedom of Information Coalition on Tuesday, March 16, 2021, will host a virtual discussion of transparency in the Keystone State in celebration of Sunshine Week. The event will bring together journalists, media law attorneys, researchers and transparency advocates to talk about the challenges and successes of […]
Through public records lawsuits, RCFP’s Local Legal Initiative seeks to improve Pennsylvania’s Right to Know Law
Attorneys for the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press are currently fighting in court to help Pennsylvania journalists gain access to records that should be released under the state’s Right to Know Law. If they’re successful, reporters from local news organizations will be able to access records that reveal a forensic audit of a […]
New report shows American voters overwhelmingly support press freedom but are missing signs it’s under threat
Amid an alarming confluence of threats to journalists and the news media, there is a lack of urgency among American voters around the idea that press freedom is at risk in the U.S., according to a new research report released Wednesday by the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. A majority of voters, 52 percent, […]