Press coalition to courts: Don’t walk back pandemic-era access

CTK/Josef Horazny via AP
Our court system should be open to the public and not operate behind closed doors.
The First Amendment gives the public and the press the right to attend trials, access court documents, and report on the justice system. But far too often, judges try to evade that right by sealing records or holding secret proceedings.
We must fight back against attempts to make the court system less transparent and push to expand access. Reporting on the courts helps make our justice system fairer and guards against miscarriages of justice.
Listen to leading press freedom advocates discuss what they saw during last week’s Democratic National Convention
We warned them, in print and on the radio, that dispersing law-abiding journalists violates the First Amendment. They did it anyway
As the Democratic National Convention takes place in Chicago this month, police must uphold the First and Fourth amendments and safeguard press freedom.
A new court decision using copyright law to deny release of public records from the Covenant School shooting investigation harms the public’s right to know
The secret taping, condemned by journalistic ethicists, is actually a prime example of when surreptitious reporting is justified
The court’s decision means journalists who can prove retaliation for doing their jobs can more easily sue
Recent news from LA and Tennessee shows latest examples of public officials’ cluelessness when it comes to journalists’ constitutional rights
Laws limiting public records access make it harder for journalists to hold executive branch officials accountable
WBEZ interview highlights legislative, economic, and cultural headwinds that threaten the Fourth Estate
News readers need to know when the government withholds information from them