From the INBA President: Defend the First Amendment in your own community

By Jason Piscia
INBA President

In addition to directing the Public Affairs Reporting graduate program at the University of Illinois Springfield, I also teach a couple of other courses in the UIS Communication Department. One of them is Media Law. During the first week of class this month, I walked students through a discussion of First Amendment issues in the news.

There was no shortage of material. In just the past week:

• FBI agents searched the home of a Washington Post reporter, seizing her electronic devices as part of an investigation into a government contractor’s handling of classified information. The New York Times described the search as “exceedingly rare,” even for a case involving sensitive material. A judge this week ordered that government cannot examine the journalist’s devices until a case about the search of her home is resolved.

And over the past few months:

• Several major news organizations surrendered their Pentagon press credentials rather than agree to a new Defense Department policy discouraging reporters from seeking unapproved information.
• The Trump administration reduced funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which supports NPR and PBS stations nationwide.
• The Associated Press saw its White House access restricted after declining to use the administration’s preferred terminology for the Gulf of Mexico.
• A comment by Jimmy Kimmel referencing Charlie Kirk and MAGA supporters prompted FCC Chairman Brendan Carr to warn that media companies could face consequences unless they “change conduct.” Disney/ABC suspended Kimmel the next day, raising concerns about government pressure on speech.
• Reporters continue to face public hostility simply for doing the work of holding officials accountable.

None of these incidents has been ruled a First Amendment violation by the courts. At least not yet. But they are deeply frustrating, even when the headlines originate hundreds of miles away on the East Coast.

So what can journalists in Illinois do about this? My suggestion: Channel that frustration into purposeful, local action. There are many opportunities in our own communities to assert our First Amendment rights and carry out our watchdog role.

A few ideas:

• File a Freedom of Information Act request for records you don’t typically inspect, including travel and expense reports, emails and texts among public officials about major initiatives, salary data and electronic form submissions. Government collects and generates far more public information than it voluntarily releases. Ask for it.
• Check in on public bodies that rarely see a reporter. These could include small-town village or school boards, zoning boards, fire protection district boards and other special districts. Watch how the tone of a meeting changes when someone with a camera, microphone and notebook walks in.
• Take advantage of Illinois’ expanded camera access in courtrooms. As of Jan. 1, media outlets can request to bring cameras into courtrooms in all 102 counties. For the 40 counties in western and southeastern Illinois where this became available just a few weeks ago, it’s an especially important moment to document proceedings the public rarely sees.

Illinois journalists don’t need to wait for a national crisis to defend the First Amendment. The most meaningful protection of press freedom often happens close to home through persistent records requests, consistent presence and a willingness to shine light in places it’s least expected.

At a time when the work of journalists is being challenged in so many ways, reaffirming our commitment to transparency and accountability in our own communities is not just an act of resistance. It’s an act of service.