Legal
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First for a Reason: Attorney-Client Privilege and the Public Records and Open Meetings Laws Post H.B. 259.
Had you sent an email to the NC Press Legal Hotline ( hotline@ncpress.com ) inquiring about the applicability of the attorney-client privilege to public documents under the public records law prior … more
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Supreme Court leaves in place a court victory for PETA over North Carolina’s ag-gag law
The  Supreme Court  on Monday rejected North Carolina’s appeal in a dispute with animal rights groups over a law aimed at preventing undercover employees at farms and other workplaces … more
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Lawmakers exemption from public records laws draws concern
A provision in North Carolina’s new budget that exempts lawmakers from state public records laws has drawn widespread criticism from open government advocates and Pitt County Democrats, but the … more
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NC treasurer bucks Republican legislative leaders on their public records exemption
State Treasurer Dale Folwell said Tuesday state lawmakers should undo a provision in the state budget that exempts them from the public records law to provide the same transparency and accountability … more
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Nashville’s police chief, HR director both suspended
Nashville police Chief John Winstead and Nashville Human Resources Director Matt Joyner late last month were suspended indefinitely with pay, Town Manager Randy Lansing said Friday afternoon. … more
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FIRST for a Reason: The Courts Giveth; The Courts Taketh Away
North Carolina’s appellate courts have been relatively active in the open government and libel space in recent months.  The open government outcomes have been favorable, but in an odd move … more
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First for a Reason: A refresher on copyright law and fair use
A recent newsroom workshop prompts me to offer up a refresher on how to stay out of copyright trouble.  Imagine a member of your newspaper is working on a story about the end of summer and the … more
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What’s in a name (on a police report)? 
We frequently get calls to the hotline when law enforcement officials redact the names of witnesses, perpetrators, juveniles or victims in crime and incident reports. Journalists want to know – … more
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 “As Promptly as Possible”: When does a public records delay become a de facto denial?
If you make public records requests in North Carolina, you are undoubtedly familiar with N.C. Gen. Stat. § 132-6(a), which requires a public body to furnish responsive records “as promptly … more
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New procedure for requesting NC law enforcement recordings – for now
If you’re a journalist who has ever sought police body camera or dashboard camera recordings, you probably used the forms provided by the North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts … more
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First for a Reason: What is Section 230? Why does it matter to journalists?
You may have heard the term “Section 230” thrown about recently. This section of the federal Communications Decency Act of 1996 has been around for more than 25 years, but it is getting … more
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County governments push to control public access
Public notices which promote the ‘Public’s Right to Know’ are once again under attack by county commissioners and certain county managers. In the recent weeks, N.C. Senator Mike … more
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SB200 bad for readers in Robeson
A bill making its way through the North Carolina Senate would remove public notices from newspapers serving Onslow County and Robeson County — including this newspaper, The Robesonian. A … more
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Proposed bill could remove public notices from print publications
WAKE COUNTY — A Democrat-backed proposal in the General Assembly would allow Wake County municipalities to publish public notices soley online. This would mark a shift from also placing the … more
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BEST PRACTICES FOR PUBLIC RECORDS REQUESTS PART 2 – RESPONDING TO “NO”
Last month we wrote about best practices in framing your public records requests.  This month, we offer some specific language to put in your email or letter if you are responding to a public … more
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BEST PRACTICES FOR PUBLIC RECORDS REQUESTS
Over the years, we have observed what works – and what doesn’t – when making public records requests.  We offer this collection of best practices for you to refine and … more
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NC Supreme Court Addresses Law Enforcement Recording Statute
“History teaches that opaque decision-making destroys trust; recent historyinvolving police body cameras emphasizes this risk.”We end 2022 with these strong words from our own North … more
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Access to K-12 School Security Footage and FERPA
We often get questions on the hotline about obtaining security footage of newsworthy incidents that occur in or around K-12 schools or on school buses. Because these incidents almost inevitably … more
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Transparency in Deadly Use of Force Incidents
The climate surrounding officer-involved fatalities is, in a word, dynamic. Whether a shooting or shootout, deadly force incident to an arrest or the service of a warrant, or a high-speed chase … more
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First for a reason: End of Emergency
Back on March 10, 2020, Governor Roy Cooper declared a state of emergency in North Carolina “to coordinate response and protective actions to prevent the spread of COVID-19,” and with … more
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