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Dear Friend of Press Freedom,

It’s Sunshine Week. The forecast for press freedom, unfortunately, isn’t great, but we’re working rain or shine to fight threats new and old. And this week we helped drive significant progress in making public interest journalism more accessible. Read on for the latest.
We partnered with Wired magazine to take down the paywalls for reports that are primarily based on public records obtained through the Freedom of Information Act. Courtesy Wired

Public records are for the public

The news business isn’t just any business — it serves a vital role in our democracy. But media outlets can’t serve that role if they’re bankrupt. As a result, news readers often find themselves blocked by paywalls from reading important stories about government business.

Fortunately, Wired magazine has a solution — in partnership with Freedom of the Press Foundation (FPF), it’s going to stop paywalling articles that are primarily based on public records ([link removed]) obtained through the Freedom of Information Act. We commend Wired for tipping the balance between public interest and business toward the former. We hope others ([link removed]) will follow its lead (and shoutout to outlets like 404 Media ([link removed]) that also make their FOIA-based reporting available for free). And we hope readers will reward these outlets’ sacrifice. Subscribe to Wired here ([link removed]) and 404 here ([link removed]) .

Catch us on NPR while you still can

NPR, itself very much in the crosshairs ([link removed]) of the Trump administration, included FPF Executive Director Trevor Timm in a conversation about the future of freedom of the press. “Trump is the most acute and urgent example of a president restricting press freedom,” he said. “It’s imperative that it becomes a front-and-center issue.”

Listen to the conversation ([link removed]) , also featuring Brian Stelter from CNN’s “Reliable Sources” and April Ryan, Washington Bureau Chief for Black Press USA.

Tech companies must safeguard journalists’ communications

Last week, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard announced ([link removed]) on social platform X that the government is “aggressively pursuing recent leakers from within the Intelligence Community and will hold them accountable.” Gabbard’s post cited leaks to several news outlets as examples.

The first Trump administration taught us that tech companies often must be the first to oppose government attempts to access journalists’ communications with sources. Some did during Trump 1.0 but, with tech executives cozying up to Trump ([link removed]) , we fear things may be different this time. Read more here from ([link removed]) FPF Senior Advocacy Adviser Caitlin Vogus.

The harsh realities of prison journalism

Many point to places like Hungary and Russia for examples of where America might be headed when it comes to free speech. But we shouldn’t forget we already have two million people living under a censorship regime right at home.

Stern and prison reform activist Theodore Amey wrote for Columbia Journalism Review ([link removed]) about the many challenges — like violent retaliation, arbitrary transfers, and seizures of equipment — facing journalists behind bars. “When the public entrusts and pays for correctional agencies to care for those who are incarcerated, it deserves to know what’s going on,” they explain.

You can’t ask DOGE anything, but you can ask us

After months of speculation about how the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency would be subject to transparency rules, a judge recently found ([link removed]) , over DOGE’s objections, that the agency is “likely covered” by the Freedom of Information Act.

This would mean that DOGE cannot hide its records ([link removed]) through the Presidential Records Act as it had previously hoped. To break down this recent development, our Daniel Ellsberg chair on government secrecy, Lauren Harper, engaged with Reddit’s r/IAmA community members in a Q&A session. You can read an edited version on our website ([link removed]) or view the full thread here ([link removed]) .

You can read more from Harper about the decision — and DOGE’s outrageous position that it’ll need years to comply with records requests — here ([link removed]) . She also joined The Dissenter podcast ([link removed]) to talk about the Trump administration’s intensifying abuses of secrecy and wrote an op-ed ([link removed]) for Sunshine Week ([link removed]) about the importance of FOIA and the need to improve it.

What we’re reading
Conservative groups urge FCC to end probe into ‘60 Minutes’ Harris interview ([link removed]) (Reuters). Right-leaning organizations are telling the Federal Communications Commission that Chair Brendan Carr’s “regulatory overreach” would “advance precedent that can be weaponized by future FCCs.” They’re right, but Carr already knows that and abuses his power anyway.

We asked every Mass. lawmaker whether they should be subject to public records law. Only a handful responded ([link removed]) (Boston Globe). “Transparency is just not a priority — and it needs to be and the public should demand nothing less," said New England First Amendment Coalition Executive Director Justin Silverman.

The last days at Voice of America ([link removed]) (Columbia Journalism Review). Former VOA press freedom reporter Liam Scott wrote about the last days before Trump’s executive order to gut the broadcaster and put its employees on administrative leave.

A statement from Columbia Journalism School faculty defending press freedom ([link removed]) (Columbia Journalism School). An important statement from the Columbia Journalism School faculty on how critical it is to defend press freedom on campus.

Media shield law bill passes Idaho Legislature with unanimous support ([link removed]) (KIFI-TV). Red and blue states alike recognize the need for journalist-source confidentiality. Every state and the federal government needs a shield bill. Those that already have them should strengthen and modernize them.

How to share sensitive leaks with the press ([link removed])
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