Insights on the State of Journalism From Attorneys and Clients of Cornell's Local Journalism Project

New York City's media landscape is undergoing rapid transformation. Legacy outlets are shrinking while independent and nonprofit newsrooms are emerging to fill the void. This shift raises a host of important and largely unresolved legal questions about press freedom, source protection, and newsgathering rights, as well as the legal frameworks that govern who qualifies as a journalist and what protections they are entitled to. The Cornell First Amendment Clinic's Local Journalism Project works at the center of these challenges, representing journalists and newsrooms across New York and beyond. This program brings Clinic attorneys together with leading journalism voices for a moderated panel exploring how First Amendment principles intersect with today's media realities.