Events
First Amendment – General Newsgathering: Core Principles of Newsgathering Rights
The First Amendment protects freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and the right to receive information. Journalists have the same access as any member of the public: public streets and sidewalks, public meetings (subject to open-meeting laws) and public records (subject to FOIA). We’ll review the limits on newsgathering including trespass, wiretapping and recording laws, interference with law enforcement, and harassment, intrusion and privacy torts. We’ll also delve into the access to government information such as public records, public meetings and court access and ethical considerations (minimizing harm, transparency with sources, avoiding conflicts of interest).
Moderator: Paula Knudsen Burke, Local Legal Initiative Attorney (Pennsylvania), Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press
Panelists:
- Kaitlin M. Gurney, Ballard Spahr LLP
- Mike Sallah, deputy managing editor/Investigations, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
- Mike Wereschagin, assistant managing editor, data and investigations, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2026-27 Center for Journalism Excellence “Meet the Moment” Virtual Training Registration
Register now for all eight virtual “Meet the Moment” sessions offered across 2026–2027. Registration package is $495 per news organization or register at the early-bird rate of just $395 through May 15. Recordings of each session will be sent to registrants as soon as available, typically within a day from the session.
Included Session Dates (Mondays):
- 2026: June 8, July 13, August 10, September 14, December 14
- 2027: January 11, February 8, March 8
💻 All sessions in this package are virtual.
Important: These in-person sessions are not included in this package and require separate individual registration:
- May 11 (Pittsburgh)
- October 8 (Harrisburg)
- November 9 (Philadelphia)
Deadline for early-bird registration is May 15.