“The Right to Know: A Guide to Public Access and Media Law,” Second Edition jointly published e-book by CNPA and First Amendment Coalition
Sacramento, CA January 26, 2022 – The second edition of an essential newsroom resource on open government and media law is available for purchase at the website of the California News Publishers Association (CNPA). “The Right to Know: A Guide to Public Access and Media Law” is a joint e-book project of CNPA and the First Amendment Coalition (FAC). It went on sale today in digital formats.
“This long-awaited guide is an authoritative resource for anyone interested in accessing public records in California,” said Charles Ford Champion II, CNPA president and CEO. “The work is thorough, and its authors have put it in a format that is suitable for modern-day newsrooms and on-the-move correspondents.”
The 310-page reference book is a must-have for newsgatherers, publishers and their lawyers.
“The new edition is the work of leading First Amendment and media lawyers who have decades of experience navigating government-transparency laws and defending press freedom,” said David Snyder, executive director of the First Amendment Coalition and one of the book’s editors. “It provides clear answers to journalists’ most common newsgathering questions and thorough discussions of substantive law that attorneys will find essential to their practices.”
The e-book includes in-depth chapters on access to public records and open-meetings laws, and on topics such as prior restraint, shielding confidential news sources, access to jury information, statutory confidentiality and the rights of student journalists, among others. It includes hyperlinks to cases, statutes and other sources of information that reporters, editors, journalism educators and media lawyers alike will find invaluable.
A one-time purchase gives users unlimited online access to everything in the guide and unlimited downloads of a PDF format for use offline. The PDF version allows for universal keyword search and the ability to copy and paste text to facilitate use of helpful resources, such as a collection of model public records request letters.
The combination of a web-based e-book and a digital download ensures the 2021 edition of this essential reference guide will be accessible to customers whenever they need it.
“The Right to Know: A Guide to Public Access and Media Law” costs $30 per e-book and gives users the complete work on up to three connected devices per day.
