Dear Friend of Press Freedom:
Donald Trump selling early access to his Truth Social posts is a First Amendment foul. This week, we sued to make him stop. Plus: A climate of fear for Columbia’s student journalists, how to save the Freedom of Information Act, and safety tips for journalists on AI and doxxing.
We sued Trump over Truth Social early access grift
President Trump is selling early access to his Truth Social posts for up to $100,000 a month. Freedom of the Press Foundation (FPF) and The Intercept just sued him and his staff to stop the scheme.
The First Amendment guarantees citizens equal access to the president’s public announcements. By enriching himself through early access to his posts, which routinely announce official government policy, Trump is violating the Constitution.
“Trump’s crooked scheme is particularly outrageous because, as documented by our Trump Anti-Press Social Media Tracker, he frequently uses his Truth Social account to berate journalists and even to announce his plans to sue them and criminally investigate them,” FPF Chief of Advocacy Seth Stern said. “Then, he makes them wait in line behind paying customers to find out about it unless they’re willing to subsidize the platform he uses to attack them.”
Threats to student journalism at Columbia persist after encampments
A climate of fear has taken hold among student journalists at Columbia University following the school’s investigation and interim suspension of several who covered pro-Palestinian protests on campus, Sawyer Huckabee of Columbia radio station WKCR writes for FPF.
Columbia is home to a prestigious journalism school. But universities that train future journalists shouldn’t be places where practicing journalism puts students’ ability to complete their education at risk.
How to save FOIA
Three members of the FOIA Advisory Committee, which just wrapped up its latest term, told FPF this week how they would strengthen the imperiled federal records law. Setting a baseline funding floor for FOIA offices, establishing a specialized FOIA court, and maybe even using AI (with caveats) could make a difference in the current transparency crisis, experts said.
Yes, the government is getting more secretive
FPF Daniel Ellsberg Chair on Government Secrecy Lauren Harper explains in a video how the Trump administration is intentionally starving the public of information by slashing the FOIA workforce — and hiring Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers instead. Use our action center to tell Congress to ensure that FOIA offices remain fully staffed and open, because Americans want more transparency, not less.
Watch this if you’re a journalist using AI
While AI tools can be a godsend for journalists strapped for time and cash, they also have risks, like having your information shared in response to a legal request or used to train AI models. FPF’s Chief Security Programs Officer Harlo Holmes breaks down how you can use AI tools without endangering yourself or your sources.
And read this if you think you might get doxxed
Important stories can bring a lot of attention to the reporters who share them, for better and worse. Dr. Martin Shelton, deputy director of FPF’s digital security team, runs through the steps journalists can take before their stories go live to protect against malicious actors collecting and publishing their personal information.
What we’re reading
Judge clarifies that reporter Catherine Herridge doesn’t have to pay $800-per-day contempt fines as she pursues Supreme Court appeal
The fine Herridge faces is paused, but the threat to journalist-source confidentiality remains. Only a Supreme Court ruling in Herridge’s favor and a strong federal shield law can stop it.
Get outraged, and active, about the Trump-toadying FCC
Brendan Carr’s out-of-control agency is remaking the media in Trump’s image. Former New York Times public editor Margaret Sullivan runs down how to fight back.
Judge throws out DOE’s blanket ‘still interested’ FOIA policy
It’s diabolical for an agency to ignore FOIA requests for years, then close them if the requesters don’t remind the agency that they still want the records.
Florida seeks to scrutinize The New York Times’ editorial process
Maybe Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, who’s behind this harassing demand, should open his own books. He’s been accused of corruption, including by a member of his own party.
Attorney seeks help from higher court in getting reporter’s notes back
Gagging a journalist, holding her notes for more than three years, and then hiding behind procedural rules to block her appeal is outrageous.
Iowa governor’s office insists executive privilege can block release of staff emails
Expanding the exemptions to public records laws, like making up a new “executive privilege” exemption for staffer emails, helps elected officials operate in secret, without accountability.
