FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Justin Silverman | 774.244.2365 | justin@nefac.org Applications for fellowships to the 2017 New England First Amendment Institute are due Aug. 31. This seventh annual institute will be held from Oct. 29-31 at Northeastern University in Boston, Mass. Application materials can be obtained here. The New England First Amendment Coalition provides the three-day investigative journalism workshop each year to 25 journalists […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Justin Silverman | 774.244.2365 | justin@nefac.org With thousands of protesters expected to assemble this weekend on the Boston Common for the “Free Speech Rally” and counter-demonstrations, the New England First Amendment Coalition is encouraging the public to use the following resources: Pro Bono Legal Services for Journalists NEFAC is co-sponsoring a hotline for journalists covering this […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Justin Silverman | 774.244.2365 | justin@nefac.org The New England First Amendment Coalition recently called for rigorous application of Fourth Amendment protections when the government seeks historical cell site location information, arguing that such data “can provide an intimate picture of an individual’s political, professional, and religious association” and “reveal details about the […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Justin Silverman | 774.244.2365 | justin@nefac.org The New England First Amendment Coalition recently called on the U.S. Senate to support legislation that would make the federal Freedom of Information Act applicable to privately managed prisons and demand more transparency from the companies that manage those prisons. The Private Prison Information Act of 2017 […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Justin Silverman | 774.244.2365 | justin@nefac.org The New England First Amendment Coalition on Friday expressed strong concern over plans by the U.S. Department of Justice to revisit internal guidelines intended to protect journalists against federal subpoenas. Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced in an Aug. 4 press conference a more aggressive effort by […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Justin Silverman | 774.244.2365 | justin@nefirstamendment.org The New England First Amendment Coalition recently renewed its call for immediate access to civil court documents in the Ninth Circuit, arguing in an amicus brief that such access allows the public to “engage in meaningful discussion and debate about pending lawsuits.” NEFAC joined 26 news […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Justin Silverman | 774.244.2365 | justin@nefirstamendment.org The New England First Amendment Coalition can now be found at nefac.org, a new web address that better reflects the organization and its commonly used acronym. The previous domain, nefirstamendment.org, will continue to be active during the transition. All resources provided on the NEFAC website and […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Justin Silverman | 774.244.2365 | justin@nefirstamendment.org The New England First Amendment Coalition wrote to Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo this week encouraging her to sign a bill protecting student journalism in the state. House Bill 5550 would prevent schools from retaliating against student journalists for reporting controversial topics. The bill is a “commonsense attempt […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Justin Silverman | 774.244.2365 | justin@nefirstamendment.org The New England First Amendment Coalition recently asked Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo to sign a bill that would provide the public more time to be notified about municipality meetings and would require minutes of those meetings to be posted online. House Bill 6323 excludes weekends and holidays […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Justin Silverman | 774.244.2365 | justin@nefirstamendment.org The New England First Amendment Coalition recently wrote to Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo in support of her “revenge porn” bill currently being debated by the state’s legislature. Revenge pornography is commonly considered the sharing of images depicting adult nudity without the consent of the person pictured. Such images are often shared to […]