NEFAC participates in many discussions and conferences throughout the year. Often the coalition will provide useful reference materials to those who attend these events. The New Mass. Public Records Law: What It Means to You and Your Newsroom | J.J. Foley’s Cafe, Boston | Feb. 2, 2017 Materials include: · “Massachusetts Has a New Public Records Law […]
By Amanda Palmeira Every journalist has at least some familiarity with the beloved constitutional amendment that protects his or her craft. But the Newseum Institute recently found that not everyone appreciates the First Amendment as much as journalists do — and worse, some don’t even know what it is. Newseum released earlier this month its 2015 State of the First […]
By James H. Smith Some key Connecticut legislators are telling us to compromise on how much the people can know about crime and punishment, how much we can know about how the police are protecting the public from alleged criminals. I’m not sure how to compromise on the right of the people to know what […]
Edgar v. Haines (U.S. 2021) Black-letter law holds that “prior restraints on speech and publication are the most serious and the least tolerable infringement on First Amendment rights.” Few protections for a free press and an informed public are more fundamental. Still, the government supervises the publications of a vast class of current and former […]
To U.S. Congress Re: Federal Agency Communication Policies (Nov. 6, 2019) Over the last 25 years there has been a relatively rapid trend toward federal agencies and others prohibiting staff members from communicating to journalists without reporting to some authority, often public information officers. The restrictions have become, in great part, a cultural norm in […]
City Didn’t Disclose Real Estate Purchases | The Laconia Daily Sun 12.18.19 Richard Gagliuso, who has represented newspapers and media outlets in New Hampshire since the 1980s and is on the board of New England First Amendment Coalition, said the state’s Right to Know Law allows non-public sessions for acquisition of real estate. First Amendment […]
Our freedom to learn about our leaders and to speak about what matters most is always at risk. The New England First Amendment Coalition is celebrating 10 years of protecting those freedoms and helping to hold our government accountable. Help us now prepare for another decade of advocacy. #GivingTuesday is a global day of giving […]
Dear Friend of the First Amendment, Public access has a face. It’s the face of ordinary citizens trying to understand their government in order to make an informed decision or to expose a wrong. Boston resident Michael A. Champa shared these words in February after receiving NEFAC’s 2016 Antonia Orfield Citizenship Award. Champa recently prevailed […]
R.I. Needs Less Spin, More Transparency | The Providence Journal 12.21.15 “We are outnumbered,” said Justin Silverman, executive director of the New England First Amendment Coalition. “The rise of PR and the decline of watchdog journalism should be a serious concern for the public. The goals of the news media and the PR industry are […]
What fees are associated with requesting public documents? New Hampshire’s Access to Public Records law does not specify what fees a public agency may charge. The law does state that a public agency to charge for the actual cost of copying a records. However, the fees may not exceed the actual cost. The Act also […]