Rhode Island Open Government Reform | NEFAC Executive Director Justin Silverman recently joined WPRI’s Newsmakers to discuss open government issues with reporters Tim White and Eli Sherman. Silverman explained recent attempts to reform the state’s Access to Public Records Act and open meeting law. More transparency is needed, he said, so the public can have a better understanding of how its government operates, particularly within law enforcement agencies.
New Hampshire: Introduction to State Courts | NEFAC President Gregory V. Sullivan explains the state’s court system and gives an introduction to our right of access. This lesson is part of NEFAC’s growing curriculum of freedom of information classes, including tutorials on public records and open meeting laws. Learn more about the laws in your state by checking out our FOI Guide. You can also view all previous FOI lessons on NEFAC’s YouTube channel.
NEFAC to Honor Former Boston Globe Editor Brian McGrory for First Amendment Advocacy | Also to be recognized at the coalition’s 13th annual New England First Amendment Awards are InDepthNH editor Nancy West, who will receive the Michael Donoghue Freedom of Information Award, and Maine resident Susan Hawes, who will receive the Antonia Orfield Citizenship Award for her successful public records battle against Cumberland County.
Connecticut: Introduction to State Courts | Taught by William S. Fish, Jr., a partner at Hinckley Allen, this lesson is part of NEFAC’s growing curriculum of freedom of information classes. FOI lessons include tutorials on public records, open meeting laws, state courts and the federal Freedom of Information Act. Learn more about the laws in your state by checking out our FOI Guide. You can also view all previous FOI lessons on NEFAC’s YouTube channel.
30 Minute Skills: How to Interview Hostile Sources | While many difficult interviews can be foreseen, the preparation leading up to them remains crucial and often challenging. By viewing this lesson, you’ll learn (1) how to lay the foundation for a productive interview with a hostile source (2) the strategies needed to keep a confrontational interview safe and on topic and (3) ways to follow up with a hostile source to prevent unnecessary confrontation during future interviews.
NEFAC, Union Leader Argue for Unsealing of Records in Montgomery Case | There is no compelling interest to justify sealing the Probable Cause Statement, explained NEFAC. “The processes of the Court and the role of the County Attorney’s Office in cases of this nature are matters of grave public interest and concern. Nowhere within the field of governmental accountability is the light of public scrutiny more critical than when it shines within our courts of law.”
Massachusetts: Introduction to State Courts | Ruth Bourquin of the ACLU of Massachusetts discusses the state’s court system and gives an introduction to our right of access. This lesson is part of NEFAC’s growing curriculum of freedom of information classes, including tutorials on public records and open meeting laws. Learn more about the laws in your state by checking out our FOI Guide. You can also view all previous FOI lessons on NEFAC’s YouTube channel.
NEFAC, ACLU to Nashua Officials: Repeal Unconstitutional Civility Ordinance | The Nashua Board of Aldermen enacted an ordinance that bans “crude, vulgar, profane and/or obscene remarks.” NEFAC and the ACLU of New Hampshire explained that the city cannot prohibit crude, vulgar, uncivil, or profane speech during town meetings. Doing so would violate the right of New Hampshire citizens to peaceably assemble to petition their elected representatives.
Maine: Introduction to State Courts | Attorneys Alexis Garmey Chardon and Kristine Hanly at Garmey Law in Portland lead this lesson on the state court system in Maine. They give an overview of the state court system, including right-to-access issues and newsgathering rights. Learn more about your state’s court system, as well as public records and open meeting laws, through our multimedia FOI Guide. You can also view all our lessons on NEFAC’s YouTube channel.
New England Scholastic Press Association Annual Conference | NEFAC’s Maggie Mulvihill and Justin Silverman recently presented at the NESPA conference at Boston University’s College of Communication. They taught high school journalists the power of public records and data journalism as part of NEFAC’s First Amendment and the Free Press program. Want to schedule a speaker for your classroom or conference? Learn more here.
Vermont: Introduction to State Courts | Attorneys Hillary Rich and Harry Stark at the ACLU of Vermont provide an overview of the state court system, including right-to-access issues and newsgathering rights. This lesson is part of NEFAC’s ongoing series of freedom of information classes. Learn more about your state’s court system, as well as public records and open meeting laws, through our multimedia FOI Guide. You can also view all our lessons on NEFAC’s YouTube channel.
NEFAC: City’s Denying The Voice’s Right to Know Requests ‘Unconstitutional’ | Rochester’s attorney said that the city would only provide The Rochester Voice with documents under the Right to Know Law if they are requested in person, a requirement not imposed on individuals residing in New Hampshire. The law, however, “contains no language relating to the residence of a requestor,” NEFAC President Gregory V. Sullivan said. “The records are public records.”
Rhode Island: Introduction to State Courts | Attorney Raymond A. Marcaccio, co-founder of Oliverio & Marcaccio LLP, provides an overview of the Rhode Island state court system as part of NEFAC’s ongoing series of freedom of information lessons. These classes will feature local attorneys, journalists and other experts who will explain how state courts operate and how you can access proceedings and judicial documents. View all open government lessons in our FOI Guide.
30 Minute Skills: Develop a ‘Document State of Mind’ | Reporting with this mindset will help you strengthen your stories with more context and data. By viewing this class, you’ll learn (1) the principles behind a “document state of mind” and how this perspective can help you (2) key questions to ask that will lead you to documents and other information necessary for your stories and (3) useful sources of documents and good practices you can immediately incorporate into your reporting.
One on 1: NEFAC and the First Amendment Museum | NEFAC Executive Director Justin Silverman joined Maxwell Nosbisch at the First Amendment Museum in Augusta, Maine, to discuss recent free speech issues in the region and across the country. “The burden is really on all of us to make sure that all citizens understand the First Amendment, why it’s so important, and what it does,” Silverman said. Learn more about the First Amendment Museum.