Category: News Freedom
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Public agencies don’t like releasing public records
Even when the law requires disclosure, getting documents can be an uphill battle. It may sound ironic, but the very people entrusted with maintaining public records are often the first to argue for keeping them private. The government offices that are supposed to safeguard transparency can become the places where access is slowed, narrowed, or…
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Fresno State’s Media, Communications and Journalism Dept. issues statement supporting journalists, condemning Jan. 6 attack on our democracy
This statement was issued on Tuesday by the faculty of the Media, Communications and Journalism Department at Fresno State: The Department of Media, Communications and Journalism (MCJ) strongly condemns the January 6 mob violence at our nation’s Capitol aimed at blocking the Constitutional duties of our elected representatives. As a department that teaches ethical truth-telling…
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I am angry that my journalism colleagues regularly face threats of violence while they work to bring you the news
As a veteran journalist who started my career when Richard Nixon was president, I can tell you that there has always been an uneasy relationship between the news media and the people they cover. Over the years, many tried to get me fired when they didn’t like stories that I wrote. I once was physically…
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Targeting journalists won’t stop them from reporting full story about protests over George Floyd’s death
Every May 3, World Press Freedom Day is celebrated internationally. It’s a day set aside to recognize the importance of an independent press around the world, and to pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives doing their jobs. The day is mostly aimed at authoritarian regimes, which regularly jail journalists and shut down…
Institute for Media and Public Trust at Fresno State 