Freelancer protected with aid of FIRE
legal team; embattled team earns honors

A New Hampshire Public Radio sexual-misconduct investigation, which FIRE could not previously disclose due to safety concerns, has just won the prestigious Edward R. Murrow award.

In tense conditions, FIRE's media lawyers and insurance specialists helped NHPR lock in liability protection for the story's freelance editor just before the story ran.

It was another victory for the FIRE legal team, which has now helped freelancers secure protections in 19 of 21 such cases over the past three years.

In addition to contributing to story releases, these cases will inform FIRE’s Freelancer Protection Guide, which evaluates how well outlets protect freelancers according to a new standard for the field. Freelancers can apply for the Guide here.  

We are grateful to craig newmark philanthropies for its generous support of this legal protection work.

In big news from our other front, FIRE's signature reporting services have helped win a Peabody award—and will be further bolstered by two top talents in FOIA lawsuits and investigative research respectively, Tuan Samohan and Margot Williams.

Democracy cannot thrive without strong investigative journalism, which requires properly supported freelancers—for fights like NHPR's.

Laird Townsend, FIRE Director