New England First Amendment Coalition

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November 2026

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Public’s Approval of Q1 Sends Clear Message for Government Transparency 

The New Bedford Light

Justin Silverman, Executive Director of the New England First Amendment Coalition, said that Massachusetts has long been an outlier in the country when it comes to government transparency. Silverman said that the support for Question 1 reveals how much Massachusetts residents want to make informed decisions about who represents them. “We don’t have all of the access and transparency necessary to make those informed decisions right now,” Silverman said.

How Do Public Records Laws Work in New England? We Tested It. 

GBH News

Despite being exempt from public records laws, Mass. Gov. Maura Healey has vowed not to claim a blanket exemption and to consider requests on a case-by-case basis. However, Justin Silverman, Executive Director of the New England First Amendment Coalition, said the result of GBH's experiment provides more evidence that Massachusetts is an outlier in government transparency.

“Worse, because the governor’s office claims to be exempt from the public records law, there’s little we can do other than to change the law and demand the same level of transparency already required in other states,” Silverman said.

Shiva Ayyadurai Wanted His Local Newspaper to Cover His Longshot Senate Bid. Now, He’s Suing Them.

The Boston Globe

NEFAC Executive Director Justin Silverman said that because the Constitution “provides strong, fundamental protections” for the press, governments and political figures have “no business making editorial decisions for newsrooms.” “Just as the First Amendment protects our right to critique local news coverage, it also protects an editor’s right to report on public issues in a way they alone see fit,” Silverman said.

Portland Won’t Release Police Reports About Alleged Assault By a City Official 

Portland Press Herald

The city of Portland recently refused to release police reports about a now-former city official who was accused of assault. First Amendment advocates say the denial of the Portland Press Herald’s public records request violates the state’s Freedom of Access Act and raises questions about whether the city is giving special protections to its employees.

“All of this goes to trust and making sure that we have the amount of transparency needed for us to trust that government is working as it should and no special treatment is given to anyone, public employee or not,” said NEFAC Executive Director Justin Silverman.

Other Commentary and Coverage

Behind the Story: The NEFAC Legal Fund

WPRI

NEFAC Executive Director Justin Silverman recently joined WPRI for “Behind the Story” to discuss the organization’s public records work and legal fund. In a conversation with Eli Sherman and Tim White, Silverman detailed NEFAC’s first legal fund victory, a Sept. 8 Maine Superior Court decision ordering the release of records sought by local news outlets related to an October 2024 domestic violence homicide.

“We provided the financing through the Legal Fund for these newsrooms to take the Bath Police Department to court and tell them, ‘These records belong to not just us, the newsrooms, but the Bath community. We are entitled to this information under the law and we need to know all the details that happened,'” Silverman said.

Ballot Measure, Bill Compete to Decide Mass. Public Records Rules 

SPJ New England

Massachusetts is the only state in the country where the governor’s office, legislature and judiciary are exempt from complying with public records requests. “There are a number of longstanding issues with the law that make it one of the weakest in the country,” said Justin Silverman, Executive Director of the New England First Amendment Coalition.

Retired Washington Post, Boston Globe Editor Discusses Journalism Career, Challenges of the Field 

Greenfield Recorder

Two media personalities recently made their way to Elmer’s Community Center in Ashfield for a discussion on the national media landscape, along with the continued attacks against journalists by the federal government. Indira Lakshmanan, host of NPR’s Here & Now, moderated a discussion with former editor of The Washington Post and The Boston Globe, Marty Baron. The Oct. 15 event, organized by the New England First Amendment Coalition, focused on Baron’s career, issues that newsrooms are currently facing, and what the First Amendment really means.

ICYMI

▶ ‘A Disgraceful Move’: Mass. Journalists Criticize White House for Banning Press Outlets

▶ UConn Fails in Free-Speech Climate for Second Consecutive Year

▶ Ballot Question 1 Explained: Should Mass. Public Records Law Apply to Governor and Legislature?