Lesson: Can I Publish This?

Libel? Privacy? Intellectual property?! When you’re producing a publication, there are so many legal risks to keep in mind.

Texas State University: RAs Punished for Speaking to The University Star Student Newspaper

Maricopa County, Arizona: Where press freedom goes to die

FIRE filed an amicus brief asking a federal court to protect journalists’ right to cover the recently concluded 2022 midterm elections in Maricopa County, Arizona.

Fall casework of FIRE’s SPFI shows student press freedom threatened across U.S. campuses

Through casework at FIRE’s Student Press Freedom Initiative, we’ve identified a couple of trends that characterize the current landscape for the student press. 

American University: Student Journalists Limited from Speaking With University Employees

Student journalists at American University must receive official written permission to interview university sources, and certain student employees are prohibited from speaking to the press altogether.

TGP Communications v. Jack Sellers

If elections officials get their way, freedom of the press is a dead letter in Maricopa County, Arizona. During the 2022 midterm election, county officials decided to deny a press pass to a reporter from The Gateway Pundit, an online news site, preventing him from attending election press conferences or visiting the voting tabulation center. County officials justified the ban by arguing the reporter wasn’t “objective” and was too political in his reporting. The real reason: Maricopa County elections officials disagreed with The Gateway Pundit’s prior reporting, which was extremely critical of how they handled other elections.

Reporters’ rights roll call: Broad ‘friend of the court’ support pours in for citizen journalist Priscilla Villarreal

Texas officials arrested citizen journalist Priscilla Villarreal for exercising her core First Amendment right to ask government officials for information as part of her reporting.  

Fordham University: Policy Prohibiting RAs from Speaking with Media About ResLife-Related Issues

Santa Ana College: Requirement that Journalists Speak Only to Public Information Officer

Indiana University stifles student press by blocking access to public records

There’s no question that the list of public agencies across the country that — might we say — struggle to abide by public records laws is lengthy.