Major Supporters Include
NEFAC REPORT | February 2019
The New England First Amendment Coalition recently argued that Vermont residents should be able to view, free of charge, police body camera footage, calling access to such public documents the “vena cava of an open society.”

“Without this access, citizens must rely on the statements of public officials to learn what their government is doing,” the coalition and other open government advocates argued in a Jan. 28 amicus brief which focused on the consequences of such a policy on journalists. [...]

RHODE ISLAND

NEFAC Meets with Attorney General to Discuss Open Government Concerns
A contingent of New England First Amendment Coalition representatives met with newly-elected Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha earlier this month to discuss open government concerns in the state.

The coalition plans to have regular follow-up meetings with the Attorney General's Office to represent the public's interest in freedom of information and transparency.

The New England First Amendment Coalition called on South Burlington High School to rescind media restrictions it said it would impose on an outdoor Black History Month event at which students planned to raise a Black Lives Matter flag to increase the community’s understanding of racial inequity.

The school district barred all members of the public and the press from covering the event, which occurred earlier this month. NEFAC considers the ban to be an unnecessary infringement on the rights of journalists. [...]

Additional Coverage


NEFAC PRESENTATIONS

MARCH 11
Nackey S. Loeb School of Communications | Manchester, N.H.

MARCH 14  
Brown University | Providence, R.I.

MARCH 23
Brown University | Providence, R.I.

APRIL 6
Society of Professional Journalists Regional Conference
Northeastern University | Boston, Mass.

MAY 3
New England Scholastic Press Association | Boston University

MAY 15
Leominster Public Library | Leominster, Mass.

MAY 23
The First Amendment and the Free Press
Time and Speakers TBA
Dartmouth Public Library | Dartmouth, Mass.

The New England First Amendment Coalition recently criticized proposed updates to U.S. Dept. of Interior regulations concerning the Freedom of Information Act, calling many of the updates “flatly inconsistent or incompatible” with the law.

The changes “would harm journalists’ ability to gather and report information to the public about the actions of the Department and its personnel,” wrote NEFAC, other open government advocates and a coalition of news organizations in a Jan. 28 letter. [...]

Additional Coverage

The New England First Amendment Coalition provided two sessions at the annual New England Newspaper & Press Association winter convention earlier this month. The first session featured several top New England journalists and attorneys who helped student journalists get over the hurdles they face. The second was an all-encompassing presentation about how journalists can remain safe in their newsrooms. [...]

The New England First Amendment Coalition recently argued for the immediate release of civil court complaints, saying that “delay can result in a complete denial of meaningful access.”

“The First Amendment requires contemporaneous access to civil complaints upon their filing,” NEFAC and other open government advocates argued in a Jan. 29 amicus brief.

While the case is outside New England jurisdictions, NEFAC considers it one of significant importance. [...]
OTHER FIRST AMENDMENT AND FOI NEWS

REGIONAL / NATIONAL

New York Times v. Sullivan


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CONNECTICUT

Transparency, Voter Data


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MAINE

Public Schools, Political Advocacy


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MASSACHUSETTS

Michelle Carter Case


Secret Court Hearings


Public Records Reform


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NEW HAMPSHIRE



RHODE ISLAND

East Providence PD, Media Relations


Panhandling, First Amendment


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VERMONT