BeaverCountian.com has just picked up some serious First Amendment firepower. Cornell Law School’s First Amendment Clinic is now providing ongoing legal support to this publication through its Local Journalism Project — meaning we can fight even harder on behalf of the people of Beaver County.
Cornell’s legal team will be in our corner on a wide range of matters: public-records and court-access fights, subpoenas, pre-publication review, libel defense, contracts, intellectual property, privacy, corporate issues, even physical and data security. When we need a lawyer, we now have a team of them.
The services come at no cost to us, and are being generously funded by The Heinz Endowments and The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. Our involvement is part of a growing Western Pennsylvania partnership that also includes the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and Pittsburgh’s Public Source.
Leading the effort is Adam Tragone, a Pittsburgh attorney whose resume makes him an unusually good fit for hyper-local journalism. Before law school, Tragone ran the newsroom as managing editor of a weekly paper in Washington, D.C. He’s since handled First Amendment and media-law work at the Institute for Free Speech, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, and the Pittsburgh firm Strassburger McKenna Gutnick & Gefsky.
His views on journalism haven’t shifted since his newsroom days.
“As a newspaper editor and later in legal practice, I have always believed that a robust free press is crucial for democracy. In these challenging times, safeguarding the First Amendment is paramount,” Tragone said.
Which is exactly why we’re glad to have him and his team by our side.
“There have been several times in my career as an investigative journalist that I’ve relied on attorneys to help protect my ability to report on behalf of the public,” said John Paul, founder of BeaverCountian.com. “But this partnership isn’t just about defending against unwarranted attack should that become necessary. It’s also about going on the legal offense when needed to force the release of information the public has a right to know.”
Having experienced First Amendment attorneys in our corner means we can push our transparency fights even harder — and keep asking the questions people in power don’t want answered.
BeaverCountian.com launched in January 2011 as a watchdog journalism operation focused on local government, transparency, and accountability. Our investigations have led to public action, judgments, arrests, and criminal convictions, and our reporting has been cited by regional, national, and international outlets. We’ve won thirteen Golden Quill awards for excellence in journalism from the Press Club of Western Pennsylvania.
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