A note from the Reporters Committee

Like many nonprofit organizations, the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press has been concerned about the challenges in fundraising due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Our ability to provide essential pro bono legal services to journalists and news organizations, particularly in support of local enterprise and investigative journalism, is contingent on our ability to retain our talented and committed staff of attorneys and nonprofit professionals.

Therefore, the Reporters Committee applied for, and received, a $464,000 loan under the Paycheck Protection Program. The loans are small business loans, available to all qualifying entities, which can be forgiven if recipients meet certain criteria. The program will help us reduce our deficit this year and continue to meet journalists’ increasingly urgent pro bono legal needs.

In no way will participation in this program impair our ability to challenge any federal, state, or local infringement on the vital newsgathering that enables the press to deliver to the public the information it needs during this pandemic and beyond. To our supporters: You have our word that the Reporters Committee will never flinch from protecting the legal rights of the journalists we serve.

The Reporters Committee regularly files friend-of-the-court briefs and its attorneys represent journalists and news organizations pro bono in court cases that involve First Amendment freedoms, the newsgathering rights of journalists and access to public information. Stay up-to-date on our work by signing up for our monthly newsletter and following us on Twitter or Instagram.