First Amendment Network
NFPW is continually working on the behalf of all Americans to protect First Amendment rights. These are just a few of our activities:
NFPW continues to operate its First Amendment Network (FAN), an innovative grassroots e-mail alert system that notifies FAN members when issues need action.
Members then can respond to the appropriate congressional office or federal agency seeking comments.
We, as an organization, can pass resolutions, but oftentimes it is individual responses that capture decision-makers' attention. We provide our members with information sheets so they know what is at stake.
NFPW continues to fight for making Congressional Research Service reports more broadly available by posting them online. It is important that the public have access to information on how their government works and to studies that show how well that government is serving the public.
Another top priority is adoption of a federal Shield Law.
What is the Shield Law?—Douglas Lee, attorney for Ehrmann Gehlback Badger & Lee, writing for the First Amendment Center, explained:
In 1972, the U.S. Supreme Court recognized in Branzburg v. Hayes that "news gathering is not without First Amendment protections." The justices, however, could not agree about the form or breadth of those protections. As a result, no nationally recognized newsgatherer's privilege exists. Instead, the protections currently in place for newsgatherers are set forth in a patchwork of inconsistent court decisions and state statutes.
For more information on the Shield Law, contact firstamendmentcenter.org
NFPW also joined in the amicus brief in Hosty v. Carter. The case involved Governors State University in Illinois. The university was sued by student journalists after a dean told the newspaper's printer to hold future issues until school officials had given approval to the student newspaper's contents. The newspaper had published news stories and editorials critical of the administration.
A three-judge panel handed down a decision offering strong support for college press freedom. The decision was vacated and the full court overturned it. The case was up for petition for certorari to the U.S. Supreme Court. NFPW donated funds to help with the suit to uphold press freedom and denounce prior censorship.
FAN has also kept our members up to date on problems involving access to government records through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). A recent alert advised of changes the Bush administration made aimed at speeding up records requests made by the public, media and others. The names of FOIA contacts in charge of policing the system have been posted.
We also participated in Sunshine Week along with other strong First Amendment groups. Sunshine Week is an annual event designed to disseminate information and heighten awareness of First Amendment issues.
For more information contact Marsha Shuler, Director, First Amendment Network, at mshuler@theadvocate.com.
Contact Us
NFPW Membership Department:
P.O. Box 34798
Alexandria, VA 22334-0798
E-mail: NFPW Headquarters at presswomen@aol.com
Phone: 800-780-2715
Fax: 703-237-9808
Mail: PO Box 5556, Arlington, VA 22205