Who's behind the news?
Who's behind the news?
1.5.2
Newsjunkie.net is a resource guide for journalists. We show who's behind the news, and provide tools to help navigate the modern business of information.
Use of Data
Freedom of the press is guaranteed in the Constitution. Legal defense groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union have the training and resources to protect vulnerable individuals and organizations from attempts to shut down or curtail the right of free speech. While many of these groups have served journalists for decades, at all levels of justice, intimidation of the press continues to rise. Knowing what these groups do and how contact them is a fundamental part of the journalist’s arsenal.
FAC is known for challenging government secrecy. In 2009 they prevailed in a lawsuit to force Santa Clara County to release GIS “basemap” parcel data, under the California Public Records Act. FAC’s victory in the case created an important legal precedent, and they have initiated many similar actions at local and state level to force compliance with open government laws. FAC also offers a number of free services for California-based journalists, including legal consultations over First Amendment issues and a legal hotline.
Contact: David Snyder, executive director, 534 Fourth St., Suite B, San Rafael, CA 94901
Email: fac@firstamendmentcoalition.org
Legal Hotline portal at firstamendmentcoalition.org
Contact: Executive Director Bruce Brown, P.O. Box 34176
Washington, DC 20043
Email: brown@rcfp.org
Legal Hotline: 1-800-336-4243 / https://www.rcfp.org/legal-hotline/
PEN America is the U.S. branch of PEN International and advocates for freedom of expression, freedom of speech and the safety of writers. PEN America is known for its work in combating censorship. In 2024, PEN America played a major part in helping defeat several bills in the Florida legislature that attempted to restrict protected speech and limit freedom of expression. Their success halted Florida’s years-long streak of passing similar bills, and led to further free speech legal victories. PEN America also provides free speech guides and gives updates on book banning efforts.
Contact: Suzanne Trimel, senior advisor, communications and media, 120 Broadway 26th Floor-North, New York, NY 10271
Los Angeles Address: 1370 N St Andrews Pl Los Angeles, CA 90028
Email: strimel@pen.org
The Freedom Forum is an organization that advances First Amendment freedoms through education programs, conferences, surveys, and other initiatives. They are known for their First Amendment advocacy programs and developing new programs as changes occur in the media landscape. A prominent example was in 2018 when they convened the Power Shift Summit to push new workplace training to help remedy the growing number of harassment and sex abuse scandals involving prominent figures in the media. The Freedom Forum also holds the annual Free Expression Awards, which celebrates champions of the First Amendment in multiple fields.
Contact: Kevin Goldberg, vice president, 610 Water St. SW, Ste 300, Washington, DC 20024
Email: kgoldberg@freedomforum.org
The American Civil Liberties Union is an organization that defends civil liberties through lobbying and litigation. The ACLU is known for defending freedoms guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights, as well as personal freedoms, equal protection statutes, voting rights, and for upholding personal privacy rights. Founded in 1920 in response to the Palmer Raids undertaken by the U.S. government that captured, arrested, and deported suspected socialists despite infringing on their civil liberties, the ACLU has since become the largest civil liberties organization in the United States. In 1954, the ACLU assisted the NAACP in their Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court victory to end segregation in schools nationwide. A more recent Supreme Court victory in 2015, Obergefell v. Hodges, legalized same-sex marriage nationwide. The ACLU also offers legal assistance through their regional affiliates.
More at Newsjunkie: ACLU
Contact: Cecilia Wang, national legal director, 125 Broad St, 18th Floor, New York, NY 10004
Email: cwang@aclu.org
Regional Legal Assistance: https://www.aclu.org/affiliates
Other noteworthy initiatives, organizations, and watchdogs:
Freedom of the Press Foundation
Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE)
Electronic Frontier Foundation
Idealist. Profile of First Amendment Coalition
Internet Archive. County of Santa Clara v. Superior Court of Santa Clara, respondent First Amendment Coalition
FAC. Terms of service
FAC. About
FAC. Resources
RCFP. What we do
RCFP. Legal hotline
RCFP. Resources
NYT. Trump guilty of illegal hiring immigrant workers at tower
PEN America. PEN America helps win victories against censorship in Florida’s 2024 legislative session
PEN America. About us
PEN America. Campus Free Speech Guide
PEN America. Banned Books
Freedom Forum. About
Freedom Forum. What we do
Freedom Forum. Kevin Goldberg
Freedom Forum. Mission
Local Media Association. How Powershift is helping news orgs promote workplace integrity
ACLU. About
ACLU. Cecilia Wang bio
ACLU. Obergefell v. Hodges at the Supreme Court
Florida Education Association. 70 years since Brown v. Board of Education
Legal Information Institute. Profile of ACLU
Published December 1, 2025
© 2025 Newsjunkie.net