News

NEFAC Calls for Increased Transparency From Privately Managed Prisons

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 […]

U.S. Dept. of Justice Plan to Reconsider Subpoena Guidelines Threatens Journalism and the Public’s Right to Know

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 […]

NEFAC Renews Call for Timely Access to Civil Court Documents in Ninth Circuit

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Justin Silverman | 774.244.2365 | justin@nefac.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 […]

New England First Amendment Coalition Now at NEFAC.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Justin Silverman | 774.244.2365 | justin@nefac.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, nefac.org, will continue to be active during the transition. All resources provided on the NEFAC website and […]

NEFAC Urges Support for Student Journalist Protections in Rhode Island

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Justin Silverman | 774.244.2365 | justin@nefac.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 […]

NEFAC Asks Rhode Island Governor to Support Open Meeting Law Changes

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Justin Silverman | 774.244.2365 | justin@nefac.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 […]

NEFAC, Rhode Island Advocates: Safeguard First Amendment in ‘Revenge Porn’ Bills

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Justin Silverman | 774.244.2365 | justin@nefac.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 […]

2017 New England First Amendment Institute Applications Available; Deadline Aug. 31

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Justin Silverman | 774.244.2365 | justin@nefac.org Applications are now available for fellowships to the 2017 New England First Amendment Institute. 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 […]

Two Days Left and We’re So Close . . .

We need to raise $5,000 by the end of tomorrow when our spring fundraiser concludes. Your help has been crucial to this campaign and we’re grateful to all those supporters who have made contributions and told others about our work on behalf of the First Amendment. In recent days, you may have seen some of […]

NEFAC Requests Rehearing of Mass. Supreme Judicial Court Anti-SLAPP Case

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Justin Silverman | 774.244.2365 | justin@nefac.org The New England First Amendment Coalition recently requested that the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court rehear a case that redefined the state’s anti-SLAPP statute. Strategic lawsuits against public participation are frivolous lawsuits intended to silence speech and impose significant financial burdens on speakers. The court in Blanchard […]