Search Results

Showing 761 - 770 of 1859 results

Latest News

Blog

Don Imus, Snoop Dogg and the 1st Amendment

[…] from our public vocabulary, would freedom of speech be the ultimate casualty? No, not as long as this change is not forced upon us by an overreaching government. When voices are silenced by the Federal Communications Commission, a Congressional committee, or some other arm of government, the result is censorship--no matter how offensive the […]
- Free Expression
June 2, 2009
Latest News

Did members of Congress make securities trades to profit from breach of debt limit?

[…] story idea for Washington journalists: Take a look at the securities investments made by key members of Congress in the run-up to the deadline for raising the government's debt limit. It would be interesting to know, for example, if Tea Party activists were not only pushing the government to a cliff-edge of default, but […]

October 16, 2013
Latest News

FAC News Press Release

Craig Newmark Philanthropies Commits $75K to FAC

Grant will support work defending press freedom, government transparency and civic engagement The First Amendment Coalition is delighted to announce a $75,000 gift from Craig Newmark Philanthropies to fuel the nonprofit’s work defending a free press, free expression and the public's right to know. The grant will support all FAC programs, including its free […]

June 1, 2022
Latest News

Cases Press Release

Court Rules Santa Clara County Must Disclose Parcel Map Database to California First Amendment Coalition

[…] analyses. Think Google Earth but with a local focus and specialized data. Used together with other publicly available data, the basemap allows citizens to monitor their local government on matters ranging from property tax assessments to zoning variances to street repairs. The basemap will also enable journalists to do reporting that would not otherwise […]

June 2, 2009
Latest News

Blog

Corporate transparency, long cherished as an essential feature of US capital markets, is giving way to the secrecy of “private equity” deals. Big mistake.

[…] buyers, professional investors insist on transparency so they can be sure not to overpay. But as owners, they favor a respite from the scrutiny of analysts and government. So-called "alternative investment" firms—private equity, venture capital and hedge funds—resist mightily any government regulation that would make them more transparent regarding the investments they make and […]
- Government Transparency and Accountability
June 2, 2009
Latest News

Blog

CFAC files suit in affirmative action case to defend researcher’s academic freedom and oppose State Bar’s claim that it is above the law of access

[…] implications for higher education. To complete the research, which has been the subject of many scholarly articles and intense academic interest, he needs access to a California government database. So why has the State Bar, which controls the database, denied Sander and his research team access to the records? Because Sander’s subject is affirmative […]
- Government Transparency and Accountability
June 3, 2009
Latest News

Blog

Are journalists who use leaked records engaging in the “fencing” of stolen property?

Some government officials have been pushing the theory that journalists who write stories based on leaked classified documents---think Glenn Greenwald, for example---are engaging in the "fencing" of stolen property. Mike Rogers, the Republican chair of the House Intelligence Committee, made this point yesterday when questioning FBI Director James Comey at a congressional hearing. Rogers […]
- Press Freedom
February 4, 2014
Latest News

Blog

A California Perspective on AG Alberto Gonzales’ Problems

[…] assessments of prosecutors’ performance, and discussions of political strategy. As such, it is doubtful they ever would have seen the light of day in the Golden State. Government officials in California would block disclosure by invoking the "deliberative process privilege," California’s counterpart to the "executive privilege" in the federal system. But in Washington the […]
- Government Transparency and Accountability
June 2, 2009
Latest News

2020 and beyond — the fight goes on

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 […]

November 20, 2020
Asked and Answered

CPRA First Amendment

The CPRA and court records

I have a question regarding the Public Records Act, and how it applies to the courts.I am hoping to get a copy of a certain CA Supreme Court oral argument tape, but am not sure whether this would be exempt from PRA requests.

June 14, 2009