AAN Association of Alternative Newsmedia

First Look Media Grants $15,000 to Sacramento News & Review Legal Defense Fund

october 20, 2015 11:40 am

First Look Media will grant $15,000 to the legal defense fund established by the Sacramento News & Review to offset the costs it is accruing from a lawsuit filed by Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson:

Although the media and political reach of this case may be regionally focused, it bears a significant public interest. If the mayor succeeds in blocking public review of emails sent in his capacity as mayor that relate to the use of public resources, it could set a precedent that undermines the public’s right of access to governmental information. By suing the SN&R, Mayor Johnson has dramatically raised the costs for the paper to assert its rights, threatening press freedom and the ability of the citizens to be informed about the actions of its elected officials. First Look Media believes that transparency, a free press, and an informed citizenry are vital to democracy, and that public records requests such as the one made by the SN&R is an important tool in this effort.

First Look Media's Press Freedom Litigation Fund was established in July 2014 to "strengthen the ability of journalists and others to pursue legal fights where a substantial public interest is at stake."

View full article at First Look Media

Tags: Sacramento News & Review