Reform Government Secrecy

- The Latest
  Regular reporting on government secrecy, surveillance, and the rights of reporters and whistleblowers.
  - The Classifieds
  - News Releases
- Technology
  Working open source software products to protect journalists, newsrooms, and their sources.
  - SecureDrop
  - Dangerzone
- U.S. Press Freedom Tracker
  A database of press freedom incidents in the United States.
  - Data Visualizations
  - Explore the Database
- Digital Security Education
  Digital security trainings and resources for journalists.
  - Request a Training
  - Guides & Resources
- About Us
  Protecting and defending press freedom when we need it the most.
- Our Team
  - Staff & Contributors
  - Board of Directors
- Transparency
  - Reports & Financials
  - Announcements
- Get in Touch
  - Jobs & Internships
  - Contact Us
Take action
Donate

A pile of classified redacted documents — AI-generated image

The U.S. classifies far too many secrets, obstructing democracy.

Excessive government secrecy takes many forms, from agencies needlessly claiming documents are classified to ignoring information requests and destroying records — even when the documents show government fraud or illegal conduct. This hinders a free press, effective oversight, and the public’s ability to self govern.

We need to fight for systemic improvements, and we need the press to vigorously question the government every time it says something is classified.

Tell Congress to support the Presidential Records Act

First Name * Last Name
Email Address *
Street Address * Zip Code * Enter a five digit US ZIP code

Edit this message so that it is unique to you: Dear [Senator/Representative], As your constituent, I am writing to urge you to ISSUE A STATEMENT explicitly reaffirming that the Presidential Records Act is constitutional and that any claims to the contrary are not lawful and threaten our democracy. This is necessary in response to the Department of Justice’s recent memo claiming the PRA is unconstitutional, arguing that a president’s records are private property. This is wrong and flips 50 years of transparency on its head. The law has required every president since Ronald Reagan to turn their records over to the government at the end of their term. This ensures that the “American story” belongs to the public, not just those who inhabit the White House. This transparency provided vital insights into Democratic and Republican administrations alike, on topics ranging from the Obama administration’s Iran nuclear deal and the George W. Bush administration’s response to Hurricane Katrina. If this DOJ memo stands, every future president, Democrat or Republican, will operate in total darkness. This is a bipartisan emergency. I am asking you to PLEASE SPEAK OUT and use your influence to safeguard the PRA. Your efforts to ensure our government remains transparent will have major implications for the public’s faith in our democracy. Thank you. URLs are not allowed in this message.

* Required. We will not share your information with third parties. Learn more

Something went wrong processing this request. Please try again later.

Opt in to email updates from Freedom of the Press Foundation

Something went wrong and your email updates subscription could not be processed. Please visit our signup page and try again.

Thank you for urging lawmakers to stand against dangerous secrecy.

Donate

Share this message on social media:
Join me in urging Congress to defend the Presidential Records Act, thus ensuring that the American story belongs to the public — not whoever is in the White House.

Featured Items

How’s newsgathering during COVID-19 at the state level? Depends on the governor.
Court access•Article
Journalists covering state responses to the coronavirus pandemic are hampered as officials reduce seating in briefing rooms, introduce unreliable technology and, in some cases, refuse real-time questions.

Published May 1, 2020 Stephanie Sugars
Government transparency cannot be a coronavirus casualty
FOIA•Article
Government agencies from the local to federal level are failing to live up to their legal transparency obligations even as the stakes for access to relevant information are at an all-time high.

Published April 2, 2020 Parker Higgins
How do newsrooms get their news tips? We reviewed over 80 news outlets
Whistleblowers•Article
We looked at over 80 news sites to measure how different newsrooms can get sensitive tips from sources.

Published Feb. 6, 2020 Parker Higgins
New ruling gives legal boost to a key data journalism tool
Court access•Article
A recent federal appeals court ruling may be a big win for data journalists and researchers who depend on scraping to collect information to report on.

Published Sept. 20, 2019 Parker Higgins
Tell Rep. Adam Schiff to remove this dangerous secrecy provision from this year’s intelligence bill
Secrecy•Article
Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff inserted a provision in the House's intel bill that threatens press freedom.

Published July 11, 2019
California’s new transparency law increases police visibility and amplifies reporting, but the state is still resisting it
FOIA•Article
Recent courtroom wins in California have led to the release of new police shooting records under a new transparency law, but some government agencies have been resisting compliance.

Published May 14, 2019 Camille Fassett
California AG refuses to rule out legal action against public records journalists, in new statements
Arrests/Prosecutions•Article
'It's either the case that the Attorney General of California is ... suggesting he can [prosecute] just to intimidate those journalists—or that he doesn't know what California law says. I don't find either option very comforting.'

Published March 5, 2019 Parker Higgins Camille Fassett
How Trump’s government shutdown ground transparency to a halt
FOIA•Article
During Trump’s 35 day partial government shutdown—the longest in history—FOIA requests and FOIA litigation ground to a halt.

Published Jan. 29, 2019 Camille Fassett
New documents reveal details of the FBI’s dangerous practice of impersonating journalists
Surveillance•Article
Every time a government agent impersonates a journalist to conduct its own investigation, they are putting countless real journalists at risk. The FBI has engaged in the practice for years while keeping its policies a secret, but thanks to documents released as part of a FOIA lawsuit by Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, we now know a little more.

Published Oct. 11, 2018 Camille Fassett
California transparency legislation could improve access to police records for journalists and the public
FOIA•Article
If SB 1421 and AB 748 become law in California, journalists and the public would be able to more easily access police records like misconduct history and body camera footage, like when officers kill or seriously injure a citizen.

Published Sept. 25, 2018 Camille Fassett