Freedom of the Press Foundation

FCC Chair Brendan Carr's threat to revoke broadcast licenses over Iran war coverage violates the First Amendment, and he knows it. It’s up to the networks to fight back — aggressively and in court. Watch our Executive Director @TrevorTimm explain.

Without reforms to enforce ethical standards or stop prosecutors from downplaying the Privacy Protection Act, the next time a journalist’s home or newsroom is raided, it won’t be a mistake. It will be the new normal for press freedom in America. freedom.press/issues/judges-…

DOJ lawyer Ed Martin is under an ethics investigation. Great, but he can't be the sole sacrificial lamb. Far too often, state bars have made excuses to shy away from investigating lawless Trump attorneys who attack the First Amendment. They must step up. freedom.press/issues/ed-mart…

The U.S. Virgin Islands always deserve transparency but especially when they're at the center of national news like the Epstein case. We spoke to journalist Shirley Smith about her efforts to fix the territory's archaic public records laws. freedom.press/issues/a-journ…

It's almost like this guy enjoys losing First Amendment cases and insists on doing so on the dumbest facts possible. Maybe station owners who didn't want to rock the boat when he threatened news will grow a spine now that he's messing with real money.

FCC Chair Brendan Carr is again abusing his power, this time to threaten outlets reporting on the war in Iran. Newsrooms and lawmakers must push back. The U.S. doesn’t have state-run media, even if Carr and Trump wish it did. FPF's Caitlin Vogus writes: theguardian.com/commentisfree/…

Attention every network under the FCC’s jurisdiction: If you actually fight back in court against ridiculous press freedom restrictions, you will win. nytimes.com/2026/03/20/bus…

"It’s unfortunate that it took this long for the Pentagon’s ridiculous policy to be thrown in the trash," FPF's @SethAStern says. It’s shocking that DOJ lawyers "had the nerve to argue that journalists asking questions of the government is criminal." theguardian.com/us-news/2026/m…

Now that we are spending money and blood on yet another war based on constantly shifting pretexts, reporters should double down on their commitment to finding out what the DoD doesn't want the public to know rather than parroting ‘authorized’ narratives. cnn.com/2026/03/20/pol…

It’s shocking that this sweeping prior restraint was the official policy of our federal government and that Department of Justice lawyers had the nerve to argue that journalists asking questions of the government is criminal. Read our full statement: freedom.press/issues/amid-wa…

FCC Chair Brendan Carr's unprecedented policing of the public interest is an excuse to attack war reporting that displeases the government. FPF's Caitlin Vogus writes: theguardian.com/commentisfree/…

📩 Read in our weekly newsletter (and subscribe): - FCC Chair Brendan Carr seeks Iran-style media obedience - Tell Congress: Reform Section 702 - Trump’s massive, secret gov't database - Attorney discipline boards must step up - Plus, what we're reading...freedom.press/issues/fcc-cha…

Trump wants to put you in a massive, secret government database: Agencies are reportedly pooling immigration data, SSNs, and more into a central database. FPF is suing to learn how deep it goes. Read more from @LaurenLeHarper in @theintercept: theintercept.com/2026/03/17/gov…

Want to get loud about press freedom? Drop a hint with this handy safety whistle. Check out our shop for this and more: freedom-press-store.myshopify.com/products/safet…

The controversial law known as FISA Section 702 is up for renewal in Congress. It allows government to spy on Americans’ communications without a warrant. Use our action center to tell Congress to reform Section 702 and end mass warrantless surveillance! freedom.press/action/reform-…

Check out @EFF Executive Director (and longtime @FreedomofPress legal counsel) Cindy Cohn's new book, "Privacy's Defender," to learn about her 30-year fight against digital surveillance. Buy it here: eff.org/Privacys-Defen…

It's unconstitutional for the government to arbitrarily bar employees from talking to the press and public, so it goes without saying that it's unconstitutional to retaliate against news outlets that report on those unconstitutional restrictions. sfgate.com/national-parks…

The Ellisons are “willing to throw the economic interests of their news holdings under the bus if it boosts their other business before the Trump administration,” FPF’s Seth Stern tells @KPaoletta in @CJR. cjr.org/feature/cnn-mi…

This is a great way for journalists without the budget to sue to deal with FOIA stonewalling. Report the news you’re able to report and explain why the govt’s bad faith stopped you from reporting more. Don’t let them off the hook without public shaming. moniqueomadan.substack.com/p/i-asked-why-…

New York state has a chance to strengthen its Freedom of Information Law and be a bright spot amid rising authoritarianism and secrecy. That's why we're calling on the Legislature to pass four key transparency bills for Sunshine Week 2026. Read more: reinventalbany.org/2026/03/groups…