Register Now for New Round of FOI Lessons
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT Justin Silverman | 774.244.2365 | justin@nefac.org
The New England First Amendment Coalition is continuing its freedom of information lessons with new classes on state court documents and hearings.
The lessons build on the information provided in NEFAC’s introduction to state court classes which can be viewed here. They will be taught by local journalists who will provide step-by-step instruction on how to access judicial records online.
This latest round of classes will be provided by NEFAC with support from the Society of Professional Journalists New England, the Rhode Island Foundation and the New England Society of News Editors.
Previous lessons can be viewed on NEFAC’s YouTube channel or through its multimedia FOI Guide. Registration for these remote classes is free and they are open to all members of the public.
Each class will be moderated by Emily Sweeney, a journalist at The Boston Globe and author of the books “Boston Organized Crime” and “Gangland Boston.” Sweeney currently writes the Blotter Tales column which appears in the Globe every Sunday. In addition to serving on the NEFAC Board of Directors, she’s also president of the New England Society of News Editors.
MASSACHUSETTS | October 2 | 5 p.m. ET
Todd Wallack is a correspondent for WBUR in Boston. He was previously the deputy managing editor in WBUR’s newsroom. Wallack oversees a team of reporters who cover politics, criminal justice, and general news.
Recommended Viewing Prior to Class: Introduction to Massachusetts Courts and Accessing Massachusetts Court Documents and Hearings
VERMONT | October 13 | 5 p.m. ET
Liam Elder-Connors is Vermont Public’s public safety reporter, focusing on law enforcement, courts and the prison system. He has worked at Vermont Public since 2015 and has reported several special projects, including an investigation into one of the state’s prominent landlords and a series of remembrances of Vermonters killed by COVID-19.
Recommended Viewing Prior to Class: Introduction to Vermont Courts and Accessing Vermont Court Documents and Hearings
RHODE ISLAND | October 17 | 5 p.m. ET
Tim White is an investigative reporter and managing editor at WPRI in Providence. He is the recipient of six New England Emmy Awards for investigative reporting and was honored for a 2010 series of stories probing government waste in Rhode Island.
Recommended Viewing Prior to Class: Introduction to Rhode Island Courts and Accessing Rhode Island Court Documents and Hearings
CONNECTICUT | October 23 | 5 p.m. ET
Andrew Brown joined CT Mirror as an investigative reporter in July 2021. He previously was a reporter at newspapers in North Dakota, West Virginia and most recently South Carolina. He has covered business, utilities, environmental issues, the opioid crisis, local government and two state legislatures.
Recommended Viewing Prior to Class: Introduction to Connecticut Courts and Accessing Connecticut Court Documents and Hearings
NEW HAMPSHIRE | November 3 | 5 p.m. ET
Annmarie Timmins is a senior reporter for New Hampshire Bulletin. She previously covered state government, courts and social justice issues for the Concord Monitor for 25 years. She won a Nieman Fellowship to study journalism and mental health courts at Harvard University. Timmins has also taught journalism at the University of New Hampshire and writing at the Nackey S. Loeb School of Communications.
Recommended Viewing Prior to Class: Introduction to New Hampshire Courts and Accessing New Hampshire Court Documents and Hearings
MAINE | November 6 | 5 p.m. ET
Sawyer Loftus is an investigative reporter at the Bangor Daily News. A graduate of the University of Vermont, Sawyer grew up in Vermont where he worked for Vermont Public Radio, The Burlington Free Press and VTDigger. He was the Editor-in-Chief of the Vermont Cynic, UVM’s independent student newspaper. He was named Maine’s top young writer in 2022 by the Maine Press Association.
Recommended Viewing Prior to Class: Introduction to Maine Courts and Accessing Maine Court Documents and Hearings
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. Please make a donation here.
Leadership Circle donors include the Rhode Island Foundation, The Boston Globe, Paul and Ann Sagan, and the Robertson Foundation. Major Supporters include Boston University, Hearst Connecticut Media Group, the Academy of New England Journalists, Genie Gannett, Linda Pizzuti Henry, Champa Charitable Foundation and Connecticut Public.