The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Crescent City Times.com
By David Snyder, First Amendment Coalition – January 16, 2026
I write to you now to let you know the First Amendment Coalition is standing shoulder to shoulder with press rights groups around the country to condemn this significant — and by all appearances unlawful — escalation of the federal government’s attacks on the free press.
While leaders in our nation’s capital seem to have forgotten the core ideals that make our nation great, FAC and other groups like us are here to remind them — first by explaining and, if necessary, by litigating.
David Snyder, Executive Director of FAC
FAC does this work day in and day out, primarily in our home state of California. Because if the First Amendment doesn’t apply close to home, it is in jeopardy everywhere.
We do this work in many ways, including by representing journalists subjected to unlawful demands to produce their confidential sources and notes.
We have represented — or secured pro bono representation for — nearly a dozen journalists served with subpoenas. And although California law unequivocally bans the use of search warrants on journalists, we have experience there, too. In 2019, San Francisco police executed multiple search warrants on a freelance journalist, in clear violation of state and federal law. FAC led efforts to find out how these abuses happened.
This work is possible because of our community of supporters. And now is a time where a robust civil society, along with an independent judiciary, may be all that stands in the way of more abuses.
And so FAC remains vigilant, fighting for you.
We could not do this without your support.
Thank you.
David Snyder is the Executive Director of FAC
