A letter from Executive Director David Snyder
Dear Friends of the First Amendment,
2020 has been a critical year for combatting government secrecy and threats to the First Amendment. Americans are demanding answers about police misconduct, the government’s response to the global pandemic, attacks on protesters and journalists — the list goes on.
FAC has answered the call, launching an aggressive campaign to ensure public access to courts and government records — and to educate journalists and the public on how to do the same. Our free Legal Hotline has fielded an unprecedented number of calls. We have been a public voice of reason and law in a season of chaos.
None of this would be possible without your support. When you donate to FAC, you are supporting not just our programs, but the basic proposition that access to public information and a strong First Amendment are essential for a more fair and just society.
Your contribution supports all of FAC’s programs, including those that directly strengthen reporters’ ability to do their jobs, such as our free open-government training programs called FOI Boot Camps and our Subpoena Defense Initiative connecting journalists in need of legal support with pro bono counsel to defend press freedom.
Your support also aids FAC’s strategic litigation program. Recently, FAC took action on behalf of the public in the Central Valley city of Bakersfield, demanding the local court system provide public access to hearings and trials during the pandemic, in accordance with the First Amendment right to open court proceedings. Such efforts on our part in courts all across California have resulted in remote access, allowing more people to observe their judicial system safely amid the pandemic.
We hope you consider including FAC in your charitable giving. Donate today. If you are renewing your contribution, please consider increasing it, if you can. If you donate $1,000 or more, you will automatically become a member of our Leadership Society for 2021, with benefits including a specially selected book, an invitation to a members-only event (probably virtual) and more.
Thank you so much for your commitment to FAC.
Sincerely,
David Snyder
Executive Director