News & Opinion

CFAC joins amicus brief backing documentary journalist jailed for refusing to turn over out-takes to federal prosecutors CFAC, together with the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, the Society of Professional Journalists and the WIW Freedom to Write Fund, has filed an amicus brief in the case of independent documentary film maker and self-styled anarchist, Josh Wolf. Here’s a PDF of the brief. Wolf is in jail for having refused to honor a federal

Judge Walker’s decision in the NSA surveillance case reflects a growing distrust in the federal judiciary of the Bush administration’s expansion of executive power By Peter Scheer Three cheers for Vaughn Walker. Vaughn who? you ask. Until very recently, he was also unknown to lawyers and policy makers in the White House. But on July 20 the unassuming chief judge of the federal district court in San Francisco dropped a judicial bomb. In a suit

Illegal immigrants have access rights too. The benefits of the Brown Act and Public Records Act do not depend on citizenship. By Peter Scheer California’s open government laws–the Brown Act and the Public Records Act, primarily–are often said to vindicate the “people’s right to know” about their government. And indeed they do. But this formulation begs the question: which “people” exactly? At the country’s founding, seemingly universalist references to “the people” actually meant a minority

National First Amendment News San Francisco Chronicle New chapter in battle of words over tracking terrorist financing to House plans debate to praise program, snipe at exposers Associated Press Information requests take longer for answer USA Today Tax dollars to fund study on restricting public data Editorials New York Times When do we publish a secret? Wall Street Journal Fit and unfit to print Chicago Tribune The Press vs. the Government Baltimore Sun On 40th

New Study Finds Commercial Uses of Federal FOI Outpace Requests by Journalists, non-profits and all Others July 3, 2006 CJOG–The federal Freedom of Information Act, which turns 40 on Tuesday, July 4, is a critical tool for businesses seeking government information and companies conducting competitive research. A new analysis of FOIA use showed that about two-thirds of the requests to 20 departments and agencies were from commercial requesters. The study also showed FOIA use by