World Press Freedom Day is a vital reminder of the importance of independent journalism and the essential role a free press plays in society. As we mark the global observance of this day, we recognize the courageous work of corps members who leverage their reporting to keep the public informed, and uncover truth. Read some of their reporting below.
At Report for America, we stand firm in our commitment to supporting the future of local journalism that keeps communities informed, empowered, and engaged. Join us in our work to help keep the free press free.
By Daniel Walters, InvestigateWest
The team at InvestigateMidwest received a secret recording of a conversation between Idaho Rep. Heather Scott and far-right lobbyist Maria Nate from a third-party source. In the two-hour recording, Nate berates Scott for her plans to support Idaho’s moderate-right speaker of the House. When Report for America corps member Daniel Walters followed up with the women for an interview, he heard from the Idaho State Police instead. The detective warned him that publishing the story could violate Idaho’s communications security laws, a crime punishable by up to five years in state prison. After determining their reporting on the recording was protected by the First Amendment, InvestigateWest published the story anyway. The recording provided “an unfiltered look into a fracture among key far-right figures in Idaho politics, in a state where many races turn on contests of conservative purity,” Walters said.
Santa Ana officials back off on restricting photojournalists after backlash
By Hosam Elattar, Voice of OC
Santa Ana city officials quietly implemented a policy without a public vote restricting where journalists and members of the public can take pictures and film city council deliberations. California’s First Amendment Coalition, the Orange County Press Club and other journalism groups condemned Santa Ana’s media policy in a December 2023 letter, arguing that it violates the Brown Act. Voice of OC Publisher and Editor in Chief Norberto Santana Jr. announced that the newsroom would protest the policy by using illustrations to depict council members instead of photos of council deliberation. After the backlash, the council unanimously voted to repeal the policy. The guidelines no longer ask journalists to film and photograph from designated areas or while seated in the audience.