Dear Friend of the First Amendment,
There are many injustices in the world that need to be exposed.
This message was conveyed frequently during our fifth annual New England First Amendment Institute last fall. Each year we invite 25 journalists from throughout the region to a three-day investigative journalism workshop, provided at no cost and featuring presentations by many of the country’s elite reporters, editors and attorneys. Learn more about the program here.
Among those who joined us were members of the 2003 Pulitzer Prize-winning Spotlight Team at The Boston Globe, who provided the keynote address. Said NEFAC’s Walter V. Robinson, who led that team during its investigation into sexual abuse allegations within the Catholic Church: There are many undetected injustices that “await your good reporting.”
The New England First Amendment Coalition works each day to make that good reporting easier, those injustices more likely to be exposed. Our mission though is about more than journalism. It’s about giving the public the tools necessary to learn about its government and hold its leaders accountable. It’s about not only recognizing high-profile First Amendment all-stars — such as The Boston Globe Spotlight Team — but also the many citizens throughout New England who are challenged in their pursuit of information. Whether a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist or simply a concerned citizen, anyone with the power of information can expose injustice.
We need your help providing them the tools to do so.
Please consider a contribution to NEFAC. You can make one here.
Your support will help us continue programs such as the New England First Amendment Institute and strengthen our efforts to broaden access to government information. On behalf of our coalition, thank you.
Sincerely,
Justin Silverman
NEFAC Executive Director
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NEFAC was formed in 2006 to advance and protect the Five Freedoms of the First Amendment, including the principle of the public’s right to know. We’re a broad-based organization of people who believe in the power of an informed democratic society. Our members include lawyers, journalists, historians, academics and private citizens.
Our coalition is funded through contributions made by those who value the First Amendment and who strive to keep government accountable. Donations can be made here. Major Supporters of NEFAC for this year include: The Robertson Foundation, The Providence Journal Charitable Legacy Fund, The Boston Globe and Boston University.