Educating everyone about the First Amendment
Two new resources are designed to help Americans learn more about the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
Journalism
In existence for just 14 months, the Estes Valley Voice files its third open-government lawsuit
The Estes Valley Voice had been in existence for just four months when it filed its first open-government lawsuit. Now 14 months since it launched in June 2024, the digital news outlet has filed — remarkably — a total of three.
Free Press, Free Country campaign and documentary will show that ‘journalism is not partisan, it’s patriotic’
Fast Forward Films launched Free Press, Free Country, a campaign to educate Coloradans about the critical importance of strong, independent journalism in a democracy. The Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition is serving as the fiscal sponsor and as an adviser for the project.
CFOIC’s Zansberg inducted into Colorado Press Association hall of fame
Steve Zansberg, First Amendment attorney and president of the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition, is a new member of the Colorado Press Association’s hall of fame.
Bennett trustees’ decision to pull town’s advertising from newspapers ‘egregiously unconstitutional’
A lawyer’s letter urges the Bennett trustees to rescind their “egregiously unconstitutional” decision to pull the town’s advertising from two Eastern Plains newspapers because they didn’t like an article about a sexual assault that allegedly happened at a middle school.
The legislature made it easier to obtain police bodycam footage in Colorado, but barriers to access remain
Enacted five years ago following the killings of George Floyd in Minneapolis and Elijah McClain in Aurora, Colorado’s Law Enforcement Integrity Act has made it easier to obtain police body-worn camera footage. But some barriers to access remain.
MuckRock, NFOIC and other leading transparency groups receive $1.25M Press Forward grant to help local journalists obtain government records
The initiative brings together the resources of each organization and connects journalists with the country’s foremost records experts at the state level who have deep, local knowledge of laws, judicial precedents and strategies that can help them overcome challenges.
Colorado Court of Appeals orders dismissal of libel lawsuit against newspaper over ‘furries’ story
The Colorado Court of Appeals ordered the dismissal of a libel case against the Arvada Press because plaintiff Jeffco Kids First failed to show “actual malice” by the newspaper or that statements made in an article by reporter Rylee Dunn “were materially false.”
Bennett trustees pull town’s advertising from newspapers over ‘distasteful’ article about alleged sex assault at school
The town of Bennett is pulling its municipal advertising from two weekly newspapers on the Eastern Plains because board members did not like an article about a sexual assault that allegedly happened in the locker room of a middle school.
Judge quashes subpoena seeking testimony of 5280 Magazine editor in breach-of-contract dispute
A judge cited Colorado’s press shield statute in deciding that the editor-in-chief of 5280 Magazine isn’t required to testify in a legal dispute between the owners of a Greenwood Village luxury home and an interior designer.