The rights journalists exercise — to film in public, to request government records, to refuse to identify sources — belong to every citizen. But unlike professional journalists, whose rights are defended by the in-house counsel, the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, the Committee to Protect Journalists, and a network of other press freedom organizations, ordinary citizens face the consequences of exercising those rights largely alone. As government conduct has grown more aggressive — masked immigration agents, surveillance of protesters, retaliation against public employees who speak out — the gap between legal rights and practical protection has widened dangerously.
A Part II workshop on Saturday led by the Freedom of the Press Foundation covers physical and digital security for non-journalists: how to document encounters with law enforcement, protect communications, and understand what protections actually apply.
Presented with support from: