Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press
@rcfp.org
The Reporters Committee provides free legal help to journalists and protects their First Amendment rights. (RCFP for short.) Find us at rcfp.org.
☎️ Legal Hotline: 800-336-4243 | [email protected]
✉️ Sign up for our newsletters: rcfp.org/subscribe
☎️ Legal Hotline: 800-336-4243 | [email protected]
✉️ Sign up for our newsletters: rcfp.org/subscribe
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Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press
The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press provides free legal guides and resources to help reporters understand their rights.
rcfp.org
👋 We’re the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press (RCFP), a nonpartisan nonprofit that provides free legal help to journalists and protects their First Amendment + newsgathering rights.
Follow us to keep up with the fight for #pressfreedom!
Learn more at rcfp.org and in the thread below 👇
Follow us to keep up with the fight for #pressfreedom!
Learn more at rcfp.org and in the thread below 👇
Reposted by Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press
We have a lot of lawsuits demanding documents on the boil. This is one of them: www.rcfp.org/litigation/c...
Center for Investigative Reporting sues for access to Ghislaine Maxwell prison transfer records
Represented by RCFP attorneys, the news outlet alleges that the Federal Bureau of Prisons violated FOIA by unlawfully withholding records.
www.rcfp.org
January 15, 2026 at 1:37 AM
We have a lot of lawsuits demanding documents on the boil. This is one of them: www.rcfp.org/litigation/c...
Reposted by Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press
This is an outrageous escalation in the Trump administration’s intrusions into the independence of the press. Read @rcfp.org statement.
This morning, the FBI executed a search warrant at a @washingtonpost.com reporter’s home.
@rcfp.org President Bruce D. Brown called it “a tremendous escalation in the administration’s intrusions into the independence of the press.”
Read his full statement: www.rcfp.org/fbi-search-w...
@rcfp.org President Bruce D. Brown called it “a tremendous escalation in the administration’s intrusions into the independence of the press.”
Read his full statement: www.rcfp.org/fbi-search-w...
RCFP statement on FBI search of Washington Post reporter’s home
“[T]his is a tremendous escalation in the administration’s intrusions into the independence of the press,” said RCFP President Bruce D. Brown.
www.rcfp.org
January 14, 2026 at 3:52 PM
This is an outrageous escalation in the Trump administration’s intrusions into the independence of the press. Read @rcfp.org statement.
This morning, the FBI executed a search warrant at a @washingtonpost.com reporter’s home.
@rcfp.org President Bruce D. Brown called it “a tremendous escalation in the administration’s intrusions into the independence of the press.”
Read his full statement: www.rcfp.org/fbi-search-w...
@rcfp.org President Bruce D. Brown called it “a tremendous escalation in the administration’s intrusions into the independence of the press.”
Read his full statement: www.rcfp.org/fbi-search-w...
RCFP statement on FBI search of Washington Post reporter’s home
“[T]his is a tremendous escalation in the administration’s intrusions into the independence of the press,” said RCFP President Bruce D. Brown.
www.rcfp.org
January 14, 2026 at 3:42 PM
This morning, the FBI executed a search warrant at a @washingtonpost.com reporter’s home.
@rcfp.org President Bruce D. Brown called it “a tremendous escalation in the administration’s intrusions into the independence of the press.”
Read his full statement: www.rcfp.org/fbi-search-w...
@rcfp.org President Bruce D. Brown called it “a tremendous escalation in the administration’s intrusions into the independence of the press.”
Read his full statement: www.rcfp.org/fbi-search-w...
FYI: We updated our Police, Protesters, and the Press legal guide.
It now includes details for reporting on immigration enforcement and recent legal developments regarding police “buffer zone” laws, among other information.
It now includes details for reporting on immigration enforcement and recent legal developments regarding police “buffer zone” laws, among other information.
Police, Protesters, and the Press | The Reporters Committee
This guide helps journalists understand their rights and avoid arrest when reporting at protests by summarizing the legal landscape.
www.rcfp.org
January 13, 2026 at 2:07 PM
FYI: We updated our Police, Protesters, and the Press legal guide.
It now includes details for reporting on immigration enforcement and recent legal developments regarding police “buffer zone” laws, among other information.
It now includes details for reporting on immigration enforcement and recent legal developments regarding police “buffer zone” laws, among other information.
@rcfp.org's monthly newsletter includes the latest press freedom news, updates on our work defending journalists, and original analyses on 1A issues.
Our January edition goes out on Friday — subscribe now to make sure it's delivered directly to your inbox: https://www.rcfp.org/subscribe/
Our January edition goes out on Friday — subscribe now to make sure it's delivered directly to your inbox: https://www.rcfp.org/subscribe/
January 12, 2026 at 8:52 PM
@rcfp.org's monthly newsletter includes the latest press freedom news, updates on our work defending journalists, and original analyses on 1A issues.
Our January edition goes out on Friday — subscribe now to make sure it's delivered directly to your inbox: https://www.rcfp.org/subscribe/
Our January edition goes out on Friday — subscribe now to make sure it's delivered directly to your inbox: https://www.rcfp.org/subscribe/
Meet Tanvi Valsangikar, @rcfp.org's inaugural Abrams Legal Fellow, who will provide free legal assistance to documentary filmmakers — including @frontlinepbs.bsky.social.
RCFP welcomes new legal fellow focused on supporting documentary filmmakers
Tanvi Valsangikar, RCFP’s inaugural Abrams Legal Fellow, provides free legal services to FRONTLINE and other documentary filmmakers.
www.rcfp.org
January 12, 2026 at 2:19 PM
Meet Tanvi Valsangikar, @rcfp.org's inaugural Abrams Legal Fellow, who will provide free legal assistance to documentary filmmakers — including @frontlinepbs.bsky.social.
@rcfp.org is urging lawmakers in Illinois to pass a bill that would ensure public media outlets run by universities can operate with full editorial autonomy.
The law would “help protect the free flow of information generally and the freedom of public media specifically.”
The law would “help protect the free flow of information generally and the freedom of public media specifically.”
RCFP supports Illinois bill aimed at protecting public media stations at public universities
The bill would protect the editorial autonomy of non-student public media stations affiliated with public universities.
www.rcfp.org
January 11, 2026 at 5:47 PM
@rcfp.org is urging lawmakers in Illinois to pass a bill that would ensure public media outlets run by universities can operate with full editorial autonomy.
The law would “help protect the free flow of information generally and the freedom of public media specifically.”
The law would “help protect the free flow of information generally and the freedom of public media specifically.”
@rcfp.org attorneys are representing the Bucks County Courier Times in its fight to unseal court records related to the wrongful-death lawsuit of 14-year-old Grace Packer.
PA newspaper seeks settlement records in wrongful-death lawsuit related to teen’s murder
RCFP attorneys have spent years representing the Bucks County Courier Times in its fight to unseal the records.
www.rcfp.org
January 10, 2026 at 3:52 PM
@rcfp.org attorneys are representing the Bucks County Courier Times in its fight to unseal court records related to the wrongful-death lawsuit of 14-year-old Grace Packer.
“Anytime that Congress tries to get in the business of inquiring into or interfering in constitutionally protected newsgathering, it’s a problem,” said @rcfp.org's Gabe Rottman. [via @washingtonpost.com]
House votes to subpoena journalist over report on Delta Force commander
A lawmaker accused Seth Harp of “leaking classified intel” after he posted a photograph of a person he identified as the head of the elite unit responsible for the Venezuela operation.
www.washingtonpost.com
January 9, 2026 at 8:45 PM
“Anytime that Congress tries to get in the business of inquiring into or interfering in constitutionally protected newsgathering, it’s a problem,” said @rcfp.org's Gabe Rottman. [via @washingtonpost.com]
On Jan. 22, @rcfp.org's Jen Nelson will lead a virtual training on covering immigration enforcement — helping journalists plan ahead, make real-time decisions, and stay protected in unpredictable environments.
Presented by @journalists.org and IWMF, with support from @fordfoundation.org. RSVP 👇
Presented by @journalists.org and IWMF, with support from @fordfoundation.org. RSVP 👇
journalists.org
January 9, 2026 at 5:13 PM
On Jan. 22, @rcfp.org's Jen Nelson will lead a virtual training on covering immigration enforcement — helping journalists plan ahead, make real-time decisions, and stay protected in unpredictable environments.
Presented by @journalists.org and IWMF, with support from @fordfoundation.org. RSVP 👇
Presented by @journalists.org and IWMF, with support from @fordfoundation.org. RSVP 👇
FCC Chair Brendan Carr's recent congressional testimony raises “serious constitutional concerns” over the agency's authority to regulate news broadcasters.
FCC chairman’s testimony raises ‘serious constitutional concerns’
Despite what FCC Chairman Brendan Carr told Congress, the FCC has limited authority to regulate the licenses of news broadcasters.
www.rcfp.org
January 8, 2026 at 10:14 PM
FCC Chair Brendan Carr's recent congressional testimony raises “serious constitutional concerns” over the agency's authority to regulate news broadcasters.
Journalists: Build your skills by signing up for a February session in ProJourn’s safety training series!
Co-presented by @theajp.bsky.social and IWMF, this virtual series helps journalists + newsrooms understand their legal rights and how to protect themselves while reporting.
RSVP links👇
Co-presented by @theajp.bsky.social and IWMF, this virtual series helps journalists + newsrooms understand their legal rights and how to protect themselves while reporting.
RSVP links👇
January 7, 2026 at 11:36 PM
Journalists: Build your skills by signing up for a February session in ProJourn’s safety training series!
Co-presented by @theajp.bsky.social and IWMF, this virtual series helps journalists + newsrooms understand their legal rights and how to protect themselves while reporting.
RSVP links👇
Co-presented by @theajp.bsky.social and IWMF, this virtual series helps journalists + newsrooms understand their legal rights and how to protect themselves while reporting.
RSVP links👇
@theintercept.com and @revealnews.org — co-represented by @rcfp.org attorneys — are asking a court to unseal records concerning the Trump administration's efforts to deport students and faculty who participate in pro-Palestinian activism.
News outlets fight to unseal court records in dispute over Trump’s deportation policy
RCFP attorneys are co-representing The Intercept and The Center for Investigative Reporting in the case.
www.rcfp.org
January 7, 2026 at 4:52 PM
@theintercept.com and @revealnews.org — co-represented by @rcfp.org attorneys — are asking a court to unseal records concerning the Trump administration's efforts to deport students and faculty who participate in pro-Palestinian activism.
@rcfp.org is urging Illinois lawmakers to pass a bill that would insulate non-student public media organizations run by public universities from undue political influence or pressure.
RCFP supports Illinois bill aimed at protecting public media stations at public universities
The bill would protect the editorial autonomy of non-student public media stations affiliated with public universities.
www.rcfp.org
January 6, 2026 at 9:54 PM
@rcfp.org is urging Illinois lawmakers to pass a bill that would insulate non-student public media organizations run by public universities from undue political influence or pressure.
In 2025, @rcfp.org attorneys litigated over 120 matters on behalf of journalists and news outlets — challenging everything from press restrictions around state executions to federal secrecy on immigration enforcement.
Read about all of our work defending press freedom in our year in review:
Read about all of our work defending press freedom in our year in review:
Defending press freedom from unprecedented threat: RCFP’s 2025 year in review
In the face of repeated attacks on press freedom, RCFP stepped up time and again to defend journalists and the public’s right to know.
www.rcfp.org
January 6, 2026 at 6:14 PM
In 2025, @rcfp.org attorneys litigated over 120 matters on behalf of journalists and news outlets — challenging everything from press restrictions around state executions to federal secrecy on immigration enforcement.
Read about all of our work defending press freedom in our year in review:
Read about all of our work defending press freedom in our year in review:
🚨 NY journalists: On Jan. 22, join us for a free training on legal rights for journalists covering immigration enforcement.
The session will include strategies to navigate high-risk situations, protect newsgathering materials, and minimize the risk of detention.
RSVP links below 👇
The session will include strategies to navigate high-risk situations, protect newsgathering materials, and minimize the risk of detention.
RSVP links below 👇
January 5, 2026 at 9:14 PM
🚨 NY journalists: On Jan. 22, join us for a free training on legal rights for journalists covering immigration enforcement.
The session will include strategies to navigate high-risk situations, protect newsgathering materials, and minimize the risk of detention.
RSVP links below 👇
The session will include strategies to navigate high-risk situations, protect newsgathering materials, and minimize the risk of detention.
RSVP links below 👇
Michigan has adopted an anti-SLAPP law!
@rcfp.org had expressed support for the legislation, which allows courts to quickly dismiss meritless lawsuits intended to chill speech about matters of public interest.
@rcfp.org had expressed support for the legislation, which allows courts to quickly dismiss meritless lawsuits intended to chill speech about matters of public interest.
RCFP urges Michigan lawmakers to pass anti-SLAPP bill
The legislation would allow courts to quickly weed out meritless lawsuits intended to chill speech about matters of public interest.
www.rcfp.org
January 5, 2026 at 6:42 PM
Michigan has adopted an anti-SLAPP law!
@rcfp.org had expressed support for the legislation, which allows courts to quickly dismiss meritless lawsuits intended to chill speech about matters of public interest.
@rcfp.org had expressed support for the legislation, which allows courts to quickly dismiss meritless lawsuits intended to chill speech about matters of public interest.
A proposed rule governing public access to state appellate court records in Tennessee would run afoul of the First Amendment and the state Constitution.
RCFP: Proposed Tennessee court access rule raises constitutional concerns
If adopted, the rule would violate the First Amendment and Tennessee Constitution, RCFP argues.
www.rcfp.org
January 4, 2026 at 4:55 PM
A proposed rule governing public access to state appellate court records in Tennessee would run afoul of the First Amendment and the state Constitution.
The indiscriminate force used by federal law enforcement officers against journalists covering immigration protests chills reporting on matters of public concern.
RCFP: Federal government’s indiscriminate use of crowd-control tactics violates First Amendment
The indiscriminate force used against journalists covering protests chills reporting on matters of public concern and undermines the public’s right to know.
www.rcfp.org
January 3, 2026 at 4:17 PM
The indiscriminate force used by federal law enforcement officers against journalists covering immigration protests chills reporting on matters of public concern.
There are serious constitutional concerns with enforcing the FCC’s “news distortion” policy and “broadcast hoax” rule, which can be used to improperly target news coverage perceived as unfavorable to the Trump administration.
FCC chairman’s testimony raises ‘serious constitutional concerns’
Despite what FCC Chairman Brendan Carr told Congress, the FCC has limited authority to regulate the licenses of news broadcasters.
www.rcfp.org
January 2, 2026 at 5:27 PM
There are serious constitutional concerns with enforcing the FCC’s “news distortion” policy and “broadcast hoax” rule, which can be used to improperly target news coverage perceived as unfavorable to the Trump administration.
In 2025, @rcfp.org's free legal support on behalf of journalists and newsrooms struck down unconstitutional laws, held law enforcement accountable, and fueled important investigative reporting.
Read more in our year-end recap:
Read more in our year-end recap:
Defending press freedom from unprecedented threat: RCFP’s 2025 year in review
In the face of repeated attacks on press freedom, RCFP stepped up time and again to defend journalists and the public’s right to know.
www.rcfp.org
December 31, 2025 at 5:11 PM
In 2025, @rcfp.org's free legal support on behalf of journalists and newsrooms struck down unconstitutional laws, held law enforcement accountable, and fueled important investigative reporting.
Read more in our year-end recap:
Read more in our year-end recap:
In the latest edition of The Nuance, @rcfp.org's Gabe Rottman explains the legal theories advanced by @nytimes.com in its 1A lawsuit challenging the Pentagon's new press policy.
Breaking down the Gray Lady's lawsuit against the Pentagon
RCFP's Gabe Rottman explains the legal theories advanced by The New York Times in its lawsuit challenging the Pentagon's new press access policy.
www.rcfp.org
December 30, 2025 at 5:08 PM
In the latest edition of The Nuance, @rcfp.org's Gabe Rottman explains the legal theories advanced by @nytimes.com in its 1A lawsuit challenging the Pentagon's new press policy.
For over 50 years, @rcfp.org's legal services have been available to journalists and newsrooms across the country — free of charge — thanks to generous donors like you.
Stand up for America's free press by making a contribution today:
Stand up for America's free press by making a contribution today:
Support Press Freedom in 2025 | The Reporters Committee
When America's free press is under threat, journalists know that they have one place to go: the Reporters Committee.
www.rcfp.org
December 29, 2025 at 5:50 PM
For over 50 years, @rcfp.org's legal services have been available to journalists and newsrooms across the country — free of charge — thanks to generous donors like you.
Stand up for America's free press by making a contribution today:
Stand up for America's free press by making a contribution today:
A Pennsylvania judge recently unsealed autopsy records that shed light on the mysterious 2003 death of federal prosecutor Jonathan Luna.
The decision came after @lancasteronline.bsky.social, represented by @rcfp.org’s Paula Knudsen Burke, fought for years to make the documents public.
The decision came after @lancasteronline.bsky.social, represented by @rcfp.org’s Paula Knudsen Burke, fought for years to make the documents public.
Unsealed autopsy reveals details about mysterious death of prosecutor Jonathan Luna
An RCFP attorney represented LNP | LancasterOnline in its yearslong legal battle to unseal the records.
www.rcfp.org
December 28, 2025 at 3:52 PM
A Pennsylvania judge recently unsealed autopsy records that shed light on the mysterious 2003 death of federal prosecutor Jonathan Luna.
The decision came after @lancasteronline.bsky.social, represented by @rcfp.org’s Paula Knudsen Burke, fought for years to make the documents public.
The decision came after @lancasteronline.bsky.social, represented by @rcfp.org’s Paula Knudsen Burke, fought for years to make the documents public.
A Colorado town pulled advertising from local newspaper The I-70 Scout in retaliation for reporting it disliked. After an @rcfp.org attorney representing the newspaper pushed back, the town reversed course.
After RCFP pushback, Colorado town settles First Amendment dispute with local newspaper
The town of Bennett, Colorado, had pulled advertising from The I-70 Scout in retaliation for its reporting.
www.rcfp.org
December 27, 2025 at 4:17 PM
A Colorado town pulled advertising from local newspaper The I-70 Scout in retaliation for reporting it disliked. After an @rcfp.org attorney representing the newspaper pushed back, the town reversed course.