Lisa Zycherman

Deputy Legal Director and Policy Counsel

Lisa Zycherman (she/her/hers) is the Reporters Committee’s Deputy Legal Director and Policy Counsel. She supervises Reporters Committee staff attorneys and legal fellows providing direct litigation and amicus support on issues affecting journalists and documentary filmmakers, including obtaining access to public records, access to court proceedings, and legal defense. As Policy Counsel, she also spearheads efforts to promote federal and state legislation on issues affecting newsgathering including anti-SLAPP measures, reporters’ shield, and government access.

Prior to joining the Reporters Committee, Zycherman was Counsel at Davis Wright Tremaine LLP, where she specialized in media and First Amendment litigation. During her fifteen years in private practice, she worked on FOIA and court access issues, represented news and advocacy organizations in fighting SLAPP suits, and counseled media organizations on all manner of newsgathering and pre-publication and pre-broadcast matters.

In 2019, Zycherman was named a Washington, D.C. “Rising Star” by the National Law Journal. She serves as an Executive Committee member of the Council for Court Excellence where she seeks to improve access to justice in the District of Columbia. She is also a frequent speaker on legal issues facing journalists, documentary filmmakers, and non-profit advocacy organizations.

Participating Sessions

LEGAL BOOTCAMP: INVESTIGATIVE BASICS FOR FILMMAKERS

A primer on legal rights and responsibilities for investigative journalists in print and film, and for filmmakers venturing into investigative territory. This session will familiarize you with recording laws and common legal issues documentarians can face while filming (e.g., intrusion, trespass), and provide tips on how to avoid them. Led by attorneys from the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, this workshop will also discuss the shift toward more...

Using and Abusing Deepfakes: The Dangers and Potential of AI in Documentary

Pseudonyms and blurred faces. Altered voices. Filming in silhouette. Masking victims. Faced with the challenging question of protecting the anonymity of film subjects who have already been victimized once, a handful of investigative filmmakers are turning to deep fakery. Using artificial intelligence, they are able to alter the appearance and voice of their source, restoring the humanity of vulnerable subjects as they tell their stories. How do filmmakers make that...