Five journalism groups launch network to protect reporters’ rights

The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press provides legal services to journalists, and we operate a Legal Hotline for journalists. ... However, there are times when journalists come to us, and we recognize that other organizations might be better equipped to help them with their issues. ... So, this is just a more formalized recognition of the collaboration between our organizations that has been going on for years.”

Jennifer Nelson, senior staff attorney for the Reporters Committee for the Freedom of the Press

As U.S. journalists and First Amendment rights endure more pressure from the Trump administration, five journalism organizations are collaborating to provide legal and safety resources for those reporting the news.

The formation of the Journalist Assistance Network was announced in May. It’s comprised of five founding members:

• The Committee to Protect Journalists
• Freedom of the Press Foundation
• International Women’s Media Foundation
• PEN America
• The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press

The five groups have provided separate resources independently, but the formal formation of the Network means that a call to one is equivalent to a call to all five organizations. The Network can take calls from journalists and connect them with other organizations for their specific needs. They aim to coordinate “holistic safety and legal training” for journalists, according to a May news release issued by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). Further, the Network will promote safety and legal resources.

Since the November 2024 U.S. election, the five groups have received an increased number of requests for assistance from journalists, according to the news release. The requests have ranged from digital and physical security advice to immigration guidance, legal risk assessment and newsgathering support.

“The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press provides legal services to journalists, and we operate a Legal Hotline for journalists,” Jennifer Nelson, senior staff attorney for the Reporters Committee for the Freedom of the Press, said in an interview with E&P. “And journalists come to us with all sorts of questions, and a lot of time they are legally focused. They are having trouble accessing public records, or they are being sued for defamation, or they need help on unsealing court records, and those are all things that we can help them with. However, there are times when journalists come to us, and we recognize that other organizations might be better equipped to help them with their issues. So, we’ve had relationships with other excellent organizations that support journalists every day, and we’ve maintained those relationships for years now. So, this is just a more formalized recognition of the collaboration between our organizations that has been going on for years.”

Jodie Ginsberg, CEO for the Committee to Protect Journalists

Jodie Ginsberg, CEO for the Committee to Protect Journalists, noted that the environment for journalists and their safety is “deteriorating rapidly.” She said her organization has seen a sharp increase in requests for safety advice and assistance from journalists.

According to the May news release, the CPJ has provided safety training and advice to more than 950 journalists in the U.S. in 2024 compared to 106 the year before and 20 in 2022.

The Network has resources to provide physical safety training through the Committee to Protect Journalists and the International Women’s Foundation.

“It’s a really wide range of requests,” Ginsberg said. “It’s everything from how to cover protests safely to digital security and how to know whether your phone has spyware on it. And now, of course, increasingly, one of the big questions is how to ensure that you are safe at the border and how you can be safe coming into the United States and whether you’re safe as an immigrant here.”

Ginsberg gave the example of a prominent Spanish-language journalist, Mario Guevara, a Salvadoran national, who was taken into ICE custody while live-streaming a protest near Atlanta. According to several news reports, all charges filed against him were dropped. Guevara was in the United States on a work visa. The Committee to Protect Journalists called on ICE to honor the initial bond release ruling.

The Journalist Assistance Network is expected to expand over time to include more partners.

Bob Miller has spent more than 25 years in local newsrooms, including 12 years as an executive editor with Rust Communications. Bob also produces an independent true crime investigative podcast called The Lawless Files.