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Message from the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press on COVID-19

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We are still hard at work, and deeply committed to our mission to protect the newsgathering rights of journalists.
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Message from Reporters Committee on COVID-19

Dear Reporters Committee supporter,

Like you, we have been following the news about the spread of COVID-19 very closely. Our organization has taken steps to reduce the spread of the virus, protect our staff, and, at the same time, continue to provide pro bono legal services for journalists.

We are still hard at work, and deeply committed to our mission to protect the newsgathering rights of journalists, which are essential at times like this when the public relies on news media for critical information about their daily lives.

This week, we released our report finding that local journalists need legal support more than ever, and we remain dedicated to providing that support. Our hotline is up and running for working journalists and media lawyers who have questions about the law. Our legal team is busy preparing filings and briefs in our ongoing matters, and staffing up our new Local Legal Initiative in the five states we selected to launch the program. They’re also preparing our annual assessment of the state of press freedom in the U.S., which we will be releasing soon, measuring changes in issues like the use of subpoenas against journalists, physical attacks, and arrests. Our Technology and Press Freedom Project team is busy preparing the next edition of their weekly newsletter highlighting important news in tech and media law. The Communications team is busy showcasing our work and keeping journalists connected to our lawyers. And our fundraising team continues to raise money so that we can provide the legal support you need.

As always, you can stay up-to-date on all of our work by subscribing to our Monthly Updates newsletter, our weekly Technology and Press Freedom newsletter, and our Special Reports and Analyses.

We welcome your thoughts, reactions, and support. Please be assured that the Reporters Committee is unwavering in our commitment to uphold our mission because without a robust free press, the information that we all rely on in our daily lives is at risk.

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