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FAC Sues DOJ Over Trump Administration’s Secret Collection of Journalist’s Records

The First Amendment Coalition (FAC) today sued the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to force the department to disclose records relating to the government’s seizure of confidential telephone and email records from New York Times reporter Ali Watkins. The suit, filed today in federal court in San Francisco under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), …

Read moreFAC Sues DOJ Over Trump Administration’s Secret Collection of Journalist’s Records

FAC Seeks Nominations for 2018 Free Speech & Open Government Award

The First Amendment Coalition is soliciting nominees for the FAC Free Speech & Open Government Award, given each year for performance of exemplary work in the arena of open government. Qualifications for the award are outstanding accomplishment, service or other contributions to “the people’s right to know” about government. The winner, or winners, could be …

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FAC Urges Ninth Circuit to Protect Journalists Who Publish Sensitive Government Information

The First Amendment Coalition (FAC) on Friday filed a “friend of court”  brief in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, urging that court to reverse a federal district court ruling that jeopardizes important First Amendment protections for journalists who publish sensitive or classified government information. The lower court dismissed claims by the ACLU that the …

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FAC Sues San Diego District Attorney’s Office for Sexual Harassment, Misconduct Records

The First Amendment Coalition (FAC) today filed suit against the county of San Diego to force the disclosure of records relating to allegations of sexual misconduct against its District Attorney’s Office. (You can read the filed petition below.) The office has refused to release the records, which clearly must be disclosed under the California Public Records …

Read moreFAC Sues San Diego District Attorney’s Office for Sexual Harassment, Misconduct Records

Veteran First Amendment Lawyer Glen A. Smith Named FAC’s First Legal Fellow

The First Amendment Coalition is pleased to announce the appointment of Glen A. Smith, a lawyer with more than 30 years of experience in First Amendment and media law, as the inaugural FAC Legal Fellow. Smith comes to FAC with a deep and widely varied background in media litigation, including substantial experience advocating for public …

Read moreVeteran First Amendment Lawyer Glen A. Smith Named FAC’s First Legal Fellow

Ed Chapuis, Katherine Rowlands and Juliet Williams Join FAC Board of Directors

The First Amendment Coalition is delighted to announce the appointment of three new members to its Board of Directors, all working journalists who have made substantial contributions to their craft and to the cause of government transparency in California and beyond: Ed Chapuis, news director for KGTV-10 in San Diego; Katherine Ann Rowlands, owner of …

Read moreEd Chapuis, Katherine Rowlands and Juliet Williams Join FAC Board of Directors

Remembering FAC Founding Father and California Journalism Giant, Frank McCulloch

Frank McCulloch, a giant in California journalism, played an important role in the founding of FAC in 1988. McCulloch was a key editor who helped transition a small Freedom of Information committee, sponsored by the California Newspaper Publishers Association, into an independent organization of journalists, attorneys and FOI/First Amendment experts  who would be serving the general public …

Read moreRemembering FAC Founding Father and California Journalism Giant, Frank McCulloch

FAC Partners with MuckRock to Expand Reach of Open Records, Meetings Database

The First Amendment Coalition today announced a new partnership with MuckRock to extend the reach of FAC’s “Asked and Answered” resource, an extensive database of legal expertise on freedom of information laws and the First Amendment. Through the collaboration, users of MuckRock—a nonprofit that provides sophisticated but easy-to-use online tools to help people submit public …

Read moreFAC Partners with MuckRock to Expand Reach of Open Records, Meetings Database

FAC Urges Reversal of Ruling Allowing Secret Government Meetings for Speculative ‘Public Safety’ Concerns

The First Amendment Coalition (FAC) today filed an amicus brief in a California Court of Appeal case that could have far-reaching consequences for the transparency of government meetings. In the brief, FAC urges the court to find that Metrolink, Southern California’s largest commuter rail system, violated the state’s open-meetings laws when it barred the public …

Read moreFAC Urges Reversal of Ruling Allowing Secret Government Meetings for Speculative ‘Public Safety’ Concerns

WATCH NOW: Fact or Fiction: What Will It Take To Combat Misinformation and Disinformation in the Digital Age?

On Thursday, May 10, 2018, First Amendment Coalition, New America and Slate’s Future Tense met in Washington DC to address the First Amendment challenges that arise when policymakers call for limits on speech and greater involvement by tech companies in policing online content. Are these steps the answer? Or should we be developing a long-term …

Read moreWATCH NOW: Fact or Fiction: What Will It Take To Combat Misinformation and Disinformation in the Digital Age?