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reporters committee for freedom of the press foia
Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press - Wikipedia Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press Jump to : navigation , search The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press Abbreviation RCFP Formation 1970 ( 1970 ) Type Non-Profit Purpose First Amendment , Free Press Advocacy Location Washington , D.C. Executive Director Bruce D. Brown Website http://www.rcfp.org The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press ( RCFP ) is an American nonprofit organization , founded in 1970 , that provides free legal assistance to and on behalf of journalists . Its offices are located in Washington , D.C. , and the executive committee is chaired by David Bordman . The steering committee includes Wolf Blitzer , Tony Mauro , Andrea Mitchell , and Judy Woodruff ; Walter Cronkite was an active member from 1973 until his death in 2009 . The organization publishes a quarterly magazine , The News Media and The Law . Contents ( hide ) 1 History 2 Freedom of speech and information 3 See also 4 External links 5 Notes History ( edit ) The RCFP was formed in 1970 after New York Times reporter Earl Caldwell was ordered to reveal his sources within the Black Panthers . Journalists including Ben Bradlee , Tom Wicker , and Mike Wallace met to find a way to protect their First Amendment rights . Early on , Jack C. Landau , who became the first executive director , implemented the legal defense project that is central to the organization today . Freedom of speech and information ( edit ) One of the most significant activities that RCFP undertakes is promoting freedom of information in the United States through publishing its Open Government Guide , which reviews the open records and open meetings laws in each of the fifty states . The guide includes expert commentary by attorneys in each state who are familiar with the provisions of their state 's code as well as court rulings and informal practices that combine to affect the climate in each state for the public 's ability to obtain copies of public documents and attend government meetings . RCFP also maintains the FOIA Wiki , an online wiki devoted to the federal Freedom of Information Act ( United States ) . The RCFP actively aids in defending reporters facing subpoenas and court orders to disclose the identity of confidential sources . The Reporters Committee is also involved in a variety of First Amendment , shield law , freedom of information , and other free speech activities , including state open records and meetings law compliance . In addition , the Reporters Committee files legal briefs on a variety of issues that affect a journalist 's ability to gather and disseminate news and maintains a 24 - hour legal defense hotline for journalists and media lawyers . See also ( edit ) Kissinger v. Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press External links ( edit ) The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press official website Digital archive of quarterly magazine , The News Media and the Law , from Vol. 24 , No. 1 ( Winter 2000 ) , to the present The RCFP Open Government Guide The FOIA Wiki : foia. wiki Notes ( edit ) Jump up ^ `` Steering Committee Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press '' . rcfp.org. 2011 - 09 - 29 . Retrieved 2016 - 12 - 08 . Jump up ^ Steering Committee , Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press . Retrieved 31 Dec. 2014 . Jump up ^ Cullinan , Kathleen . `` Walter Cronkite , CBS anchor , steering committee member , dies at 92 , '' The News Media and the Law , Summer 2009 , p. 19 . Jump up ^ `` FOIA. Wiki '' . foia. wiki . Retrieved 2016 - 12 - 08 . Jump up ^ Toobin , Jeffrey . `` Name That Source , '' The New Yorker , p. 30 , 16 January 2006 . This journalism - related article is a stub . You can help Wikipedia by expanding it . Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Reporters_Committee_for_Freedom_of_the_Press&oldid=763515795 '' Categories : Freedom of information in the United States Organizations established in 1970 Freedom of expression organizations Freedom of the press 1970 establishments in the United States Journalism stubs Talk Contents About Wikipedia Add links This page was last edited on 3 February 2017 , at 18 : 25 . Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply . By using this site , you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy . Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation , Inc. , a non-profit organization . About Wikipedia