How can we have election integrity without transparency? A judge has sealed the warrants allowing Riverside Sheriff Chad Bianco to seize 600,000 ballots. Show us the warrant! The legal basis for such an unprecedented move should be open to public scrutiny. 🔍️ calmatters.org/politics/202...

Want to see what your government is doing? Be prepared to pay up. 💸 A California bill would let public agencies charge for staff time on public records requests—a major blow to government accountability and transparency. Sunshine shouldn't be for sale. ☀️ calmatters.org/politics/202...

Public business should be done in public. No more secret subcommittees. San Diegans deserve a transparent government they can hold accountable. Check out the latest from @voiceofsandiego.org: voiceofsandiego.org/2026/03/20/i...

Thanks for joining us @lby3.bsky.social and hope many of you will join us! bsky.app/profile/lby3...

When life gives you lemons, you make Lemon Pound Cake, then prevail in court. Great explainer by @thefireorg.bsky.social on the #Afroman verdict last week that was a big win for the First Amendment. www.youtube.com/shorts/im4mk...

FAC Legal Director @davidloy.bsky.social warns Fresno’s proposal to use facial recognition at public meetings could violate California’s Brown Act and chill public participation. You have the right to attend public meetings anonymously. gvwire.com/2026/03/17/f...

FAC recently joined 900+ students at the Associated Collegiate Press national media conference in SF to talk press rights, public records, and the vital importance of diverse perspectives in journalism. Read more about the next generation of reporters: firstamendmentcoalition.org/news/post/yo...

Happy #SunshineWeek! ☀️ From classroom visits to legal battles for transparency, FAC is celebrating the public’s right to know. At a time when government transparency is under strain, let’s protect our access to the truth. firstamendmentcoalition.org/news/post/ce...

No one really knows how much it's cost to oust former San Mateo Sheriff Christina Corpus, but it's troubling the government doesn't want the public to know, ignoring public records act requests from @mercnews for the info. www.mercurynews.com/2026/03/15/s...

We’re kicking off #SunshineWeek in classrooms and community events. Yesterday, FAC Advocacy Director @ginnylaroe.bsky.social was on campus at SF State University (pictured) and our Executive Director David Snyder talked to a class at @ucberkeleyofficial.bsky.social.

Under California law, county health officers can inspect private immigration detention centers, and those inspection reports may be obtained through public records requests.

Immigration court hearings are generally open to the public, and if space is limited, federal rules say priority must be given to the press.

An appeals court has ruled an elementary school violated the First Amendment in a case involving the speech rights of 1st graders. Great piece on students' speech rights by @brieannafrank.bsky.social @USATODAY.com www.usatoday.com/story/news/n...

FAC joined a broad coalition of 41 organizations calling for the release of Nashville journalist Estefany Rodriguez, who was detained by ICE last week without a warrant. See the full letter ⬇️ firstamendmentcoalition.org/2026/03/10/p...

ICE continues to retaliate against non-US journalists who cover their operations by detaining them for deportation. Last year, it was Mario Guevara, who was removed to El Salvador. Now, Estefany Rodriguez could be deported to Colombia. Both fled their countries and sought safety in the US.

Previously secret video footage showing Ventura County sheriff's deputies at the Glass House Farms immigration raid last summer became public thanks to a lawsuit filed by FAC, attorneys Gregory Pleasants and Shaffy Moeel for @buenvecino.bsky.social. firstamendmentcoalition.org/news/post/fa...

🎉 More kudos to the @mississippitoday.org team! The FAC-award winning collaboration with @nytimes.com Local Investigations Fellowship and @RevealNews.org has won another award, this time the Peter F. Collier Award for Ethics in Journalism. mississippitoday.org/2026/03/04/m...

“Ashley broke the story of the lead contamination crisis, and then she and Callie just kept digging until they’d exposed all that went wrong at the district," says Esther Kaplan of @oaklandside.org about Ashley McBride and Callie Rhoades winning a FAC award oaklandside.org/2026/03/03/o...

TONIGHT at 7:30 PM! There's still time to RSVP ⬇️

Congratulations to the winners of the 2025 FAC Free Speech & Open Government Awards! See more about the winning stories: firstamendmentcoalition.org/news/post/th...

Important piece by @rcfp.org on why a federal judge's ruling on the search of @WashingtonPost.com reporter @hannahnatanson.bsky.social's computer is a win for press freedom. www.rcfp.org/natanson-pos...

Even as threats to press freedoms escalate, student journalists show what it means to be resilient: They pivot, push forward and raise their voices so they can report the stories that matter most.

JOIN US: FAC's David Snyder and investigative reporter Joe Dworetzky of @localnewsmatters.bsky.social will discuss press freedom, protest coverage, and the threats to journalists on Monday, 3/2 in Berkeley. RSVP www.eventbrite.com/e/fireside-m...

Former FAC Fellow, Annie Cappetta, discusses what she believes is the most urgent and underrated threat to First Amendment Rights. If you're the press, a reporter, or the public with questions about your right to report on protests in public, contact our free legal hotline: bit.ly/FACLegalHotl...

We hope the principal at El Capitan High School reverses course and rescinds the yearbook quote ban. Michael Chen of @abc10news.bsky.social has an update with comment from the yearbook editor www.10news.com/news/we-foll...

@facoalition.bsky.social sent a letter to Imperial County counsel: “Perhaps a federal agency or official would prefer that the County not disclose the requested records, but the Supremacy Clause demands compliance only with laws of the United States, not mere wishes.”

Congrats to @oaklandside.org , winner of a @spj-norcal.bsky.social award for challenging Alameda County's sideshow observer law. “We cannot do our jobs when we’re not allowed to tell the public what’s happening in their city," says @tasneemraja.bsky.social oaklandside.org/2026/02/18/o...

The principal of El Capital High School banned senior quotes from the high school yearbook, saying parsing the "modern slang" of the quotes would be too difficult to vet. FAC and @splc.org note the ban violates state law, urges the principal to rescind it. firstamendmentcoalition.org/2026/02/18/f...

You have the right to record law enforcement. FAC Legal Director @davidloy.bsky.social tells @sandiegouniontribune.com: “The right to record is fundamental to holding government accountable. People can’t protest or even evaluate what they can’t see.” www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2026/02/15/k...

Do you love transparency as much as we do? 🥰

FAC has brought two lawsuits to vindicate the press and public's right to police records. Read why these cases are critical in the fight for police transparency. firstamendmentcoalition.org/news/post/de...

TODAY 12PM PT: last call to join our 30-min intro to our newest Reporter's Field Guide: Data Sources in California. We’ll introduce you to the guide, share some story ideas and answer your questions. RSVP now: firstamendmentcoalition-org.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

Investigative reporter Robert J. Lopez spoke to FAC about the reporting behind his ambitious series on child farmworkers for our Behind the Headlines series. Check it out! firstamendmentcoalition.org/news/post/be...

When investigative journalist Albert Serna sought public records about secondary, off-duty employment by El Monte police officers, he was was stonewalled. Other department released the info. What is the El Monte Police Department hiding? firstamendmentcoalition.org/news/post/fa...

The arrests of journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort last week was outrageous. "The First Amendment protects, above all else , the right to report the news and criticize the government," @davidloy.bsky.social tells Jade Hindmon of @kpbssandiego.bsky.social. ⬇️ www.kpbs.org/podcasts/kpb...

Reporters: are you looking for an easy-to-use guide to publicly available data for journalists in California? Check out our new reporter’s field guide! firstamendmentcoalition.org/handbook/rep...

The First Amendment guarantees the right of the press or public to observe, document, record and report on events that take place in public. FAC Legal Director @davidloy.bsky.social explains: firstamendmentcoalition.org/videos/repor...

Attacks like this by the federal government will never silence a free press. FAC joins the National Association of Black Journalists' condemnation of the arrests of journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort. #JournalismIsNotACrime nabjonline.org/blog/nabjout...

⏰️ LAST DAY TO SUBMIT A FAC AWARD NOMINATION! ⏰️ Submissions are due at 11:59 PM PT tonight. Submit your nomination here: firstamendmentcoalition.org/2025-fac-awa...

📢 Attention Reporters! Our new Reporter’s Field Guide: Data Sources in California will point you to publicly available data on criminal justice, education, government finances, health, the environment and more. firstamendmentcoalition.org/news/post/in...

Many police officers work side jobs. The public has the right to know what they're doing off-hours. FAC represents Investigate LA in lawsuit against the City of El Monte for refusing to release off-duty employment records. firstamendmentcoalition.org/news/post/fa...

Following the recent raid of a Washington Post journalist’s home, we've been getting a lot of quetions about what journalists can do to lower risk to their most sensitive data if they expect someone to snatch their device. freedom.press/digisec/blog...

Outstanding data reporting by Ari Sen and Brian New of @CBSNews.com and @howardcenterasu.bsky.social on how police officers' side jobs can have dangerous consequences for the public when secondary work policies aren't enforced. www.cbsnews.com/projects/202...

FINAL WEEK to submit a nomination for a FAC Free Speech & Open Government Award! We're seeking the best examples of contributions to free speech, free expression, and advancing open government in 2025. Don't delay; submit a nomination now! firstamendmentcoalition.org/2025-fac-awa...

There were more than 100 fatal police shootings in California in 2025. FAC's guide gives reporters step-by-step help on how to cover them. firstamendmentcoalition.org/handbook/rep...

⌛ The deadline to submissions for a FAC award is 1/30! Don't delay, tell us what you think is the best contribution to free speech and open government of 2025. It's free to enter, and you could win $1,000! firstamendmentcoalition.org/2025-fac-awa...

Journalists have a First Amendment right to film police activity in public spaces, as long as you aren’t physically interfering with law enforcement operations. Contact our legal hotline if you need help with your rights covering protests. bit.ly/FACLegalHotl...

Using a search warrant to search a journalist's home is an extraordinary, and extraordinarily dangerous, step. We'll know more when the affidavit in support of the search warrant becomes public, but on its face, this is truly alarming. www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...

Sharing publicly available information on X isn't a crime. FAC joined with more than 20 other groups in a coalition urging the House to drop the subpoena against journalist Seth Harp. cpj.org/2026/01/cpj-...

Great public service piece in @laist.com on the Inglewood city council meetings in the middle of the day, when fewer people can attend: laist.com/news/politic...