The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press

08/28/2026

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appears to have lied to Congress when he said that his 2019 visit to Samoa ahead of a deadly measles outbreak had “nothing to do with vaccines,” newly unearthed documents show.

The records were released in response to a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit Reporters Committee attorneys filed on behalf of The AP and reporter Michelle Smith.

Among the documents was a letter in which Kennedy told Samoan officials ahead of his visit that he wanted to study the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine in the Pacific island nation — suggesting Kennedy did not tell Congress the truth about his visit during confirmation hearings to appoint him as U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services.

The records were released in response to a lawsuit Reporters Committee attorneys filed on behalf of the AP.

08/26/2026

Looking for tips to help you get the most out of your Freedom of Information Act requests?

Reporters Committee collected FOIA strategies from five journalists — including advice for generating ideas, drafting effective requests, and navigating the appeals process.

Journalists share their strategies for generating FOIA ideas, crafting requests, and navigating appeals.

08/25/2026

A new Senate bill would roll back Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s news media restrictions at the Pentagon, restoring press access to the agency.

The legislation would reinstate journalists' ability to gather news in areas of the Pentagon building that were previously accessible, among other changes aimed at supporting independent reporting of the Defense Department.

Reporters Committee supports The Protecting Pentagon Press Access Act and its passage into law. Learn more in The Hill:

Welcome to The Hill’s Defense & NatSec newsletter{beacon} Defense &National Security Defense &National Security   The Big Story Senate Democrats introduce bill to ro…

08/24/2026

Flock cameras, which automatically track cars that pass by, have prompted widespread backlash over their threat to personal privacy and reports of severe misuse by law enforcement — including stalking people.

One Pennsylvania city, which administers dozens of Flock cameras, is shielding certain data around how its police officers use this controversial technology. But Reporters Committee attorney Paula Knudsen Burke is helping a news outlet fight to access this crucial information.

In a new video, Burke discusses how she’s suing the city on behalf of The Morning Call and explains why the court battle to unearth these records is worth fighting. Watch:

08/21/2026

08/20/2026

The Reporters Committee's Gabe Rottman spoke to The Washington Post about the Defense Department's troubling shakeup at Stars and Stripes — changes that threaten the military newspaper's long-standing editorial freedom.

The agency has taken steps to overhaul Stars and Stripes, eroding the firewall between the paper's journalism and the department’s public affairs operations. Now, Stars and Stripes's longtime publisher announced he’s stepping down weeks after an active-duty Navy captain was installed in the paper's leadership.

“This is another intrusion by the Pentagon into the independence of the press and it is essential that Congress step in to insulate Stars and Stripes from political influence,” Rottman said.

An active-duty Navy captain was placed in leadership ahead of the publisher's resignation, sparking fears that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth might gain control of the newspaper prized for its independence.

08/19/2026

When William Skipworth joined the New Hampshire Bulletin, he knew he wanted to investigate potential abuse in the state’s disability care network — but agencies put up a wall in response to his public records requests.

Skipworth reached out to the Reporters Committee’s free Legal Hotline, where he received help that allowed him to shake loose records revealing systemic failures and neglect in the system. The resulting investigation sparked legislative reforms and won the prestigious Livingston Award for local reporting.

New Hampshire Bulletin reporter William Skipworth’s reporting recently won awards and sparked legislative reforms in the state.

08/18/2026

New: The Reporters Committee condemns both a Louisiana judge’s decision to eject the press and public from his courtroom and the outrageous handcuffing of a reporter who tried to object to the unconstitutional closure.

Virginia Hamrick, the Reporters Committee's Louisiana-based attorney, said that these actions “constituted an egregious affront to the First Amendment” and sent “a chilling message to members of the press and the public.”

The actions “constituted an egregious affront to the First Amendment right of the press and public to access court proceedings.”

08/14/2026

Blue Surveillance, with free legal support from Reporters Committee attorney Rachael Johnson, obtained police bodycam footage that revealed “egregious” misconduct by an officer during a confrontation with an unarmed individual.

Law enforcement initially refused to disclose the recording in response to a public records request, but the department turned over the recording after Johnson fought for access on behalf of the nonprofit newsroom.

If not for Johnson's assistance, “these records would have just languished on a hard drive somewhere, and no one would have ever been able to see them,” said Blue Surveillance Executive Director Andrew Fraieli.

A Reporters Committee attorney helped Blue Surveillance obtain video documenting an officer holding a gun to an unarmed man’s head.

08/13/2026

New: In a friend-of-the-court brief, the Reporters Committee is urging a federal court to throw out indictments against independent journalists Georgia Fort and Don Lemon related to their coverage of an immigration protest earlier this year.

“This is a case of clear government overreach, with the Justice Department attempting to deploy two highly potent civil rights laws to target journalists,” said President Bruce D. Brown.

If the charges are upheld, federal officials would gain a powerful tool to suppress public-interest reporting, the brief argues.

If the charges are upheld, federal officials would gain a powerful tool to suppress news reporting in the public interest.