Reporters Committee attorneys represent journalist Azmat Khan in FOIA lawsuit for records on civilian casualties in Iraq and Syria

Attorneys for the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press have filed a lawsuit on behalf of award-winning freelance journalist Azmat Khan against the United States Department of Defense and Central Command (CENTCOM) after the agencies failed to comply with her Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests for records related to civilian casualties in the U.S-led campaign […]

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Journalists win lawsuit to release police department planning documents during Charlottesville rally

Following a lawsuit brought by two freelance journalists represented by attorneys from the Reporters Committee, the public will have access to more information about how the Charlottesville Police Department and Virginia State Police planned for the August 2017 “Unite the Right” rally. The rally left 19 injured and led to the death of 32-year-old Heather […]

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Open government means open courts: How the Reporters Committee is working to shine a light on the judicial system

Earlier this month, in celebration of Sunshine Week, we turned our attention to highlighting the value of transparency and public information to our communities, both large and small. However, year-round we must continue to remember the importance of advocating for transparency and work to protect the rights of journalists who are shining a light into […]

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D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals side with Reporters Committee in FBI impersonation lawsuit

D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals side with Reporters Committee in FBI impersonation lawsuit On Friday, the Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit sided with the Reporters Committee and the Associated Press, overturning a district court ruling in their Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the FBI and the Department of Justice.    In […]

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The Reporters Committee Receives MacArthur Foundation Grant

The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press has been awarded a two-year grant totaling $450,000 from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation in support of RCFP’s work defending journalists’ legal rights in the face of increased threats to press freedom. The funding will go directly toward offering journalists and media organizations free legal resources to protect their First Amendment rights.

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DC: Federal judge just disclosed how often law enforcement asked to secretly track electronic records

A federal judge released a list Wednesday of all sealed requests made in Washington in 2012 for Americans’ telephone and Internet activity, a step toward bringing more public scrutiny to rapidly expanding secret law enforcement activities.

The action came in a case brought by a journalist to unseal a much larger collection of information about court-ordered electronic surveillance in closed criminal investigations in the nation’s capital.

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Virginia: Daily Press to argue for appeal in open records lawsuit

Lawyers representing the Daily Press will present an oral argument Thursday asking the Supreme Court of Virginia to review a Newport News judge's ruling that court officials do not have to release their statewide database of case information.

The court typically uses the oral argument to clarify any questions or concerns they have about the briefs the parties have filed, said Hunter Sims, the attorney representing the Daily Press.

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Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press: Obtaining government officials’ business emails should be easier

This spring, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton came under fire when the State Department disclosed her exclusive use of a personal email server during her time as Secretary of State.

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Reporters Committee launches interactive online map of police body camera laws and policies

The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press has launched an interactive, online map charting the policies of more than 100 police departments and laws in nearly every state regarding public access to police body camera videos.

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