Events

Recap: Free Speech & Open Government Assembly 2009

Alex Jones on "Losing the News," Photos by Reuben Reynoso

The future of  journalism–who will be reporting the news and how will it be gathered and delivered–was the focus of discussion at FAC’s Free Speech & Open Government Assembly held  October 24 at Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles.

The day-long event brought together editors and reporters, media attorneys and technology innovators, students and teachers to discuss the nuts and bolts of community beat reporting and the virtual realm where Twitter is becoming a tool to change the world 140 characters at a time.

Featured speaker Alex Jones, author of “Losing the News,” had a more optimistic view of the future of newspapers than the title of his book suggests, assuring the Assembly’s audience of students, journalists and media attorneys that while he understood the news business was changing, newspapers would not die.

For the crowd of  free-press supporters gathered at the Southwestern Law School Saturday Oct. 24, Jones’ positive outlook was especially encouraging since he should know: his family has been in the newspaper publishing business for four generations. The nuts and bolts of covering local government, schools and law enforcement–especially for community and ethnic media–remained the centerpiece of the day’s panel discussions.

That’s not to say the future was forgotten. MapLight.org’s Dan Newman demonstrated how to use online research tools and databases to track the impact of special interest cash on Sacramento and Washington legislators’ votes. Business models for the new journalism, the role Twitter and other social media play in today and tomorrow’s news were also hashed out in packed discussion groups. Assembly speaker Alex Berzon, the reporter who won the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for her series on construction worker deaths for the Las Vegas Sun, exemplified what a reporter’s job should be in any medium and any era.

Honoring First Amendment Defenders

FAC Board President James Chadwick presents the Beacon Award for Sen.Yee. Jim Ewart, CNPA, accepted on Yee's behalf. Photos by Reuben Reynoso

At the mid-day awards ceremony, the crowd honored a select few  whose work for the cause of free speech, open government and the public’s right to know is an inspiration to all.  In contrast, the Coalition also presented its “Darkness Award,” given in recognition of conduct that thwarts freedom of speech and open government. Read more

The Bill Farr Award, given jointly with the California Society of Newspaper Editors, went to Carl Malamud, whose campaigns to put government information into the public domain have resulted in the EDGAR database of SEC filings, free and easily accessible copies of California criminal, building and plumbing codes, federal court filings and more.  Carl Malamud video acceptance of the Farr Award

Beacon Award recognizing individuals who exemplify the spirit of the first amendment:

– Robina Suwol, executive director of California Safe Schools, for use of public records to inform her unswerving campaign to protect school children from environmental dangers

– State Sen. Leland Yee of San Francisco, for a broad array of legislation in support of government transparency and the rights of student journalists and their advisers.

– Austin Heap of San Francisco, for use of technology to enable uncensored use of the Internet by Iranians to protest the country’s disputed presidential elections.

– Matt Lait and Scott Glover of the Los Angeles Times, for dogged pursuit of a story showing that a man had been imprisoned for 26 years on faulty evidence.

This year’s Darkness Award went to Rod King and Fallbrook High School for suppression of two stories produced by the Tomahawk, the school’s student newspaper. The stories ultimately were published many months later and only days after attorneys for the students filed legal actions to undo the prior restraint.

Assembly Gallery