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First Amendment Fundamentals for Student Journalists: by David Snyder

[…] the press is the only industry specifically granted protections by the Bill of Rights. Originally, the Bill of Rights was understood as only applying to the federal government, but with the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, it became clear that state governments also had to adhere to these protections. The First Amendment reads: […]
- Free Expression
- Press Freedom
July 21, 2021
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Blog FAC News

FAC Seeks Nominations for 2014 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 could be a […]

October 9, 2014
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Blog Events

FAC joins with Santa Rosa Press Democrat to host Open Government candidates’ forum

FAC headed north this week to co-host an Open Government Candidates' Forum with the Santa Rosa Press Democrat. The event provided a unique opportunity for members of the community, which a year earlier was rocked by the tragic shooting death of Andy Lopez, 13, by a Sonoma County Sheriff's Deputy, to hear candidates for city council answer tough questions on government […]
- Government Transparency and Accountability
October 16, 2014
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FAC News Press Release

FAC Free Speech & Open Government Award winners honored at Cal Press Foundation 138th Annual Dinner Banquet

The 2015 recipients of the Free Speech & Open Government Award competition were honored Thursday, December 3 at the California Press Foundation’s 138th Annual Meeting in San Francisco. The two winners of this year’s awards used different methods to accomplish their goals one upholding the finest traditions of community journalism and the other demonstrating […]
- Government Transparency and Accountability
December 15, 2015
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Cases Press Release

FAC Fights Unprecedented Effort by School District to Recover Nearly $500K From Records Requester

[…] requested public records under the California Public Records Act is legally meritless, unprecedented, and would cast an intolerable chill over the public’s ability to learn about their government. Newark Unified has asked the Alameda County Superior Court in California to order Elizabeth Brazil to pay the school district $449, 317.60 for time the district’s […]
- Government Transparency and Accountability
February 6, 2018
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Blog Cases

Court rules CA counties must disclose pension amounts paid to government retirees

[…] has ruled that county governments, upon request, must disclose--by name--their retirees' pension payments. The Superior Court for Stanislaus County reasoned that the public interest in access to government employees' pensions outweighs the public interest in protecting the confidentiality of that information. In 2007 the California Supreme Court ruled that government employees' salaries--including employee names--are […]
- Government Transparency and Accountability
November 6, 2009
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Blog

Blogger-Journalist Josh Wolf must be the first journalist to go to jail to protect evidence he didn’t have.

[…] battle is finally and thankfully over, one may reasonably ask: Was all this really necessary? Journalists have an obligation--not a privilege or right, but an obligation--to resist government attempts to force them to disclose evidence that the government wants for an investigation or prosecution, but that they possess as a result of their reporting. […]
- Press Freedom
June 2, 2009
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Blog

Apple is right: the order requiring it to create code to defeat iPhone security is “coerced speech” forbidden by the 1st Amdt

BY PETER SCHEER---The court battle between the FBI and Apple presents an important first amendment issue: whether the government can force a company to engage in expression—to wit, the writing of computer code—-that the company not only objects to, but views as inimical to its interests and its customers’ interests. Apple claims that this […]
- Free Expression
March 7, 2016
Asked and Answered

CPRA FOIA

FOIA precedents and the CPRA

Generally speaking, decisions by federal courts other than the U.S. Supreme Court are not binding on state courts.California courts have observed, however, that the California Public Records Act ("CPRA") "was modeled upon the federal Freedom of Information Act ["FOIA"], and has a common purpose" and that "federal 'legislative history and judicial construction of the […]

June 14, 2009
Asked and Answered

CPRA

Documents relating to employment

[…] my previous employer in another state gave me a negative reference.The agency has refused to give me this information (saying it is against their policy), though I believe it is my right to have access to it.My attorney believes this is covered by FOIA, though state law may supercede.Can you advise how I should proceed?

June 14, 2009