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COMMENTARY

Proposed Bill Seeks to Speed Up Responses to Maine Public Records Requests

Justin Silverman, executive director of the New England First Amendment Coalition, said while any deadline is an improvement over the current law, a 30-day window could encourage agencies to take the full month to respond—even to simple requests. “Some requests only require minutes or hours, but certainly not 30 days to fulfill,” Silverman said. “I’m concerned that if this legislation passes, the new law will implicitly give permission to every agency to take a month to fulfill a request, no matter how simple it might be.”

Merrimack Valley Non-Public Meetings Prompt Questions About How District Leaders Disclosed Overspending

The meetings should not have been closed to the public at all, NEFAC President Gregory V. Sullivan told the Concord Monitor. “There shouldn’t be anything confidential about the way the taxpayers’ monies have been spent by a school district,” said Sullivan, who reviewed the meeting minutes, including the reasons the boards cited to enter into the non-public sessions. 

Roped-Off R.I. State House Rotunda Seen as Part of ‘Playbook’ for Muting Dissent

Over the years, government officials and politicians have established so-called “First Amendment areas” at political conventions and others events, NEFAC Executive Director Justin Silverman said. “Often they are a very restricted area with limited visibility,” he said. “The purpose is typically to make sure that protesters are not seen and heard and do not cause any kind of disturbance or embarrassment for the organizers for the event.”

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ADVOCACY

NEFAC: Proposed Maine Public Records Deadline Too Long and Will Invite Abuse

The state’s Freedom of Access Act currently requires record requests to be fulfilled within a “reasonable time.” LD 152 would instead set a 30-day deadline for all requests. While a specific deadline could improve the law and increase transparency, NEFAC wrote to the state’s Committee on Judiciary, a month is simply too long and provides an incentive for abuse. 

NEFAC, Mass. Open Government Groups: Governor’s Proposal Will Close the Open Meeting Law

“The Municipal Empowerment Act again falls short on ensuring reasonable access to public meetings,” the groups said. “It will shut people out of the democratic process by only allowing — and not requiring — municipalities to provide hybrid participation options. This is a core principle of a democratic process, and for disabled people and others, a fundamental civil rights issue.”

NEFAC, Press Groups Argue Against Forced Disclosure of Reporter’s Notes in Karen Read Case

NEFAC, the Massachusetts Newspapers Publishers Association, the New England Newspaper & Press Association and the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press filed an amicus memorandum on Jan. 30 explaining that: “Under these circumstances, the government’s intrusion into entirely confidential communications between a reporter and source, including the thought processes and work product of a journalist, unjustifiably intrudes on First Amendment interests and, as precedent, would unnecessarily chill the newsgathering process.”

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COMMUNITY

Feb. 12 | Online | What the Government Is Up To and Your Right to Know

Feb. 18 | Online | 30 Minute Skills: Covering Marginalized Communities

March 6 | Online | Your Right to Criticize: Revisiting New York Times v. Sullivan

March 26 | Online | 30 Minute Skills: Education Reporting 101

April 8 | Online | 30 Minute Skills: Writing Workshop 101

April 29 | University of Massachusetts Amherst | First Amendment and the Free Press

May 13 | Online | 30 Minute Skills: Writing Workshop 102

June 12 | Online | 30 Minute Skills: Broadcast Journalism 101


30 Minute Skills: Business Reporting 101

All journalists — whatever the beat — should think of themselves as business journalists. By viewing this class, you’ll learn (1) how to begin a business beat or start incorporating business journalism practices into your current beat (2) where to find stories and sources and (3) how to localize national and global business stories.

30 Minute Skills: Copyright Law 102

Copyright law can be a complex and nuanced area for journalists and non-journalists alike. Questions of ownership, fair use and other intellectual property concerns are especially relevant to newsgathering as more information is found through social media and other online sources. This is the second of two classes introducing copyright law and suggesting best practices. View the first class here

NEFAC Discusses Journalism, First Amendment to Lebanese and African Delegations

The New England First Amendment Coalition recently continued its international outreach with constitutional lessons for Lebanese and African journalists, academics and community advocates. The U.S. State Department sponsors short-term visits to the United States for foreign officials, executives, journalists and other professionals to learn about a variety of topics, including the First Amendment. Since 2011, NEFAC has partnered with WorldBoston, a local non-profit organization, to coordinate presentations and educational programming during those visits.

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