The IRE Resource Center is a major research library containing more than 23,250 investigative stories — both print and broadcast. Add to that more than 3,000 tipsheets from our national conferences on how to cover specific beats or do specific stories and you have a resource that no reporter or editor should be without. These stories and tipsheets are searchable online or by contacting the Resource Center directly (573-882-3364 or rescntr@ire.org) where a researcher can help you pinpoint what you need. Browse or search the tipsheet section of our library below. Logged-in members can view the tipsheets free online:
Search results for "First Amendment" ...
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Legal Challenges and Keeping the First Amendment Alive
Provides background and answers frequently asked questions on the prior restraint case of Valerie Wilson.
Tags: freedom of press; prior restraint; CIA; undercover operative; First amendment
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The Early Development of Journalists' Privilege
Tobin analyzes the history of journalists' right to keep sources confidential, as it has been determined by U.S. courts. Although protecting critics of the government was undoubtedly part of what the Framers of the Constitution intended when they wrote the First Amendment, journalists' privilege has not been upheld by the courts. However, the U.S. Supreme Court's divided decisions in Branzburg v. Hayes affirmed that if it is too easy to compel journalists to reveal sources, courts will "undermine one of the central principles on which the Revolutiuonary War was waged and that has allowed the press to flourish."
Tags: protecting sources; journalistic privilege; anonymous sources; confidentiality; history of american journalism; journalism and government; First Amendment; whistleblowers
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FOIA/Public Records Law/ Third Party Discovery Tools
This 22 page tipsheet gives a detailed overview of the Public Disclosure Act in Washington. It discusses what records are available to the public and how to request records. It also includes a brief overview of regulations with certain types of records such as taxpayer information and personal information of government employees.
Tags: FOIA; Legal laws; public records law; media law; public records cases; First Amendment cases
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Legal Perils: Latest threat to investigative reporting
This tipsheet targets the rights of reporters and the things that should be taken into account when being served a subpoena. One of the questions that it covers is the confidentiality of sources and whether reporters should reveal this information under judicial pressure. It also includes a list of case readings and resources.
Tags: subpoena; reporter's privilege; shield laws; First Amendment; use of confidential sources; confidential sources
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Resources on the discussion about the trade-offs in a free society between civil liberties, the First Amendment and the battle against terrorism
This tipsheet lists some resources and discussion about the First Amendment, the anti-terrorism law (Pub. L. 104-132) and an analysis of immigration and fund-raising provisions in the Omnibus Counter-Terrorism Act of 1995.
Tags: First Amendment; terrorism; counterterrorism
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National Defense Authorization Act, 1990; "Principles of Information", Cohen, 1997; FOI Letter, McNamara, 1967
Yes, there is an ombudsman at the DoD who makes sure that the First Amendment right of military personnel and their families are protected through the Stars and Stripes newspaper. This tipsheet is part of the Act that makes the Stars and Stripes an independent shop, a memo from former Secretary of Defense McNamera reaffirming the public information policy of the DoD from 1967, and the "Principles of Information" Memo from today's DoD.
Tags: FOIA; Freedom of Information; classified information; public affairs; security classifications; national security
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First Amendment Legal Information and Background Materials
This tipsheet contains information about the First Amendment and background materials.
Tags: FOI First Amendment
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If libel won't shut you up, this might: Creative and new challenges to freedom of the press
Audio tape available through the IRE Resource Center at (573) 882-3364 or rescntr@ ire.org. Ask for tape #IRE96-38. It should be noted that the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press publishes a quarterly magazine The News Media and the Law, the First Amendment Handbook, How to Use the Federal FOI Act and other books dealing with access, legislative, privacy and confidentiality issues. They may be reached at (703) 807-2100.
Tags: FOI
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The battle at the federal, state and local level
McIntosh's handout provides 10 strategies for getting government data and phone numbers and urls for six Freedom of Information or First Amendment centers. Additionally helpful are tips on how to speak the nerd language, how to avoid the data-for-dollars trap and an example letter of how to find out what data is available and another for when you request the actual data. Audio tape available through the IRE Resource Center at (573) 882-3364 or rescntr@ ire.org. Ask for tape #IRE96-07.
Tags: FOI
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Tipsheet No: 458
The highlight of this package is a 6-page detailed bibliography of articles and books dealing with cyberlaw and the Internet, First Amendment issues, copyright and intellectual property issues, publishing, newsgathering and privacy, obscenity and censorship and computer assisted reporting. Also included in this package is the option of obtaining 5 cases that pertain to above issues (32 pgs.) Audio tape is available for purchase from the IRE Resource Center. Contact us at (573) 882-3364 or rescntr@ire.org