RCFP Local Legal Initiative will place lawyers in total of five states including Oklahoma to provide local news organizations with pro bono legal support.
Launched in 2020 by the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, The Local Legal Initiative provides local news organizations with the direct legal services they need to pursue enterprise and investigative stories in their communities.
Reporters Committee attorneys are currently based in four states — Colorado, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee — to help local journalists and news organizations defend their rights to gather and report the news, gain access to public records and court proceedings, and hold state and local government agencies and officials accountable.
The Local Legal Initiative is partially funded by a $10 million investment from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation as part of the foundation’s pledge to double its commitment to strengthening local journalism. The Reporters Committee and our partners are actively seeking further philanthropic support to sustain and grow the program.
“We are eager to expand our legal services to help more local journalists pursue stories that inform and strengthen their communities,” said Bruce Brown, executive director of the Reporters Committee. “We are looking forward to working closely with our partners in each of these states to support thriving local journalism.”
Mark Thomas, executive vice president of the Oklahoma Press Association said the initiative is revolutionary because it will help restore the rights of citizens who want access to records kept by their government, and provide the financial backing to challenge bureaucracy and violations of Oklahoma’s transparency laws and principles.
“It is also right to commend the public servants, past and present, who have tirelessly supported transparency at all levels of government. For those who do not, the Local Legal Initiative will be a ‘Shot Heard ‘Round Oklahoma’ and help Oklahoma become one of the most transparent states in the nation,” said Thomas.
Through the Local Legal Initiative, the Reporters Committee has employed a lawyer in each state to help local media defend against legal threats and lawsuits, assist with public records and court access efforts, and provide pre-publication review and other legal services.
“IJA is proud to join our partners in providing representation for Indigenous journalists in Oklahoma through the RCFP Local Legal Initiative,” former Indigenous Journalists Association President Tristan Ahtone said. “We believe the opportunity will encourage both mainstream and tribal media to attain the highest standards of professionalism and improve coverage of Indigenous communities.”
The five launch states were selected from more than 45 submissions that the Reporters Committee received from over 30 states, regions and territories nationwide as part of a proposal process the organization conducted in 2019 after the announcement of the Knight Foundation’s investment.
“The enthusiasm and responses we received from across the country make clear that there is a significant need for pro bono legal assistance for local journalists nationwide,” said Katie Townsend, legal director for the Reporters Committee. “At a time when important local reporting is routinely stymied, we stand ready to help journalists and news organizations overcome the legal roadblocks they too often face.”
Media Contact: Amelia Nitz, media@rcfp.org
Local Partner Contacts:
- Oklahoma Press Association, Mark Thomas: mthomas@okpress.com
- Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters, Vance Harrison: Harrison@oabok.org
- Indigenous Journalists Association, Sterling Cosper: scosper@naja.com
- Oklahoma Watch, David Fritze: dfritze@oklahomawatch.org
- The Frontier, Dylan Goforth: Dylan@readfrontier.com
- StateImpact Oklahoma, Dick Pryor: dick.pryor@ou.edu
- Freedom of Information Oklahoma, Andy Moore: director@foioklahoma.org
- Society of Professional Journalists, Oklahoma Chapter: William Hickman, profhickman@gmail.com