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Katie Townsend

@ktownsend.bsky.social

media & first amendment lawyer * partner @ Gibson Dunn * formerly @ reporters committee for freedom of the press * UF 🐊 & UVA Law grad * LA Kings fan 🦁🏒

25 Posts2684 Follower 170 Folgt

@tboutrous.bsky.social · last mo.

Court Halts Pentagon Rule Requiring Escorts for Journalists www.nytimes.com/2026/06/30/b...

Court Halts Pentagon Rule Requiring Escorts for Journalists

nytimes.com

Student Press Law Center @splc.org · 2mo ago

With the academic year coming to a close, don’t forget to nominate a student journalist for SPLC’s Student Press Freedom Awards! Both the Courage in Student Journalism Award and the Student Freedom of Information Award come with cash prizes. 🏆 Learn more and apply at the link in our bio.

Katie Townsend @ktownsend.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Incredibly proud of my brilliant brother, who was recently awarded his second(!) Fulbright award for biodiversity work in Costa Rica. As he put it, “it is more important than ever for researchers and educators to go abroad and try to put our best foot forward on behalf of our country.”

IUP biology professor gets a second Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award

IUP professor nets his second Fulbright grant

indianagazette.com

Katie Townsend @ktownsend.bsky.social · 4mo ago

Great work by the great team over @rcfp.org!

Minnesota Reformer@minnesotareformer.com · 4mo ago

FAA drops ban on drones near DHS operations following Minnesota photojournalist’s lawsuit

Chris Geidner @chrisgeidner.bsky.social · 4mo ago

NEW: Pentagon "in violation of" court order in case over press restrictions, federal judge rules. After some press pass restrictions were blocked, the Pentagon adopted an "interim policy" with similar restrictions. Now, at Law Dork:

Pentagon "in violation of" court order in case over press restrictions, federal judge rules

After some press pass restrictions were blocked, the Pentagon adopted an "interim policy" with similar restrictions. Also: The latest on the Trump admin's mandatory detention policy.

lawdork.com

The Associated Press @apnews.com · 4mo ago

A federal judge on Thursday ruled that the Defense Department is violating an earlier order to restore access to the Pentagon for reporters.

Federal judge finds Pentagon is violating court order to restore access to reporters

A federal judge has ruled that the Defense Department is violating his earlier order to restore access to the Pentagon for reporters. U.S.

bit.ly

Adam Rose @adamrose.bsky.social · 4mo ago

NYT lead newsroom lawyer, David McCraw, was asked about risk of losing Pentagon access case and setting precedent for Trump to restrict press further. Perfect quote about not chickening out: "What’s worse than losing is falling in line, because it simply encourages more of this to happen."

NPR @npr.org · 4mo ago

A U.S. District Court judge found that President Trump's executive ordering the defunding of NPR and PBS violated the First Amendment. n.pr/3PUBm6t

Federal judge finds Trump violated free speech by ordering NPR defunded

A U.S. District Court judge found that President Trump's executive ordering the defunding of NPR and PBS violated the First Amendment.

n.pr

PBS News @pbsnews.org · 4mo ago

U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss in Washington ruled that President Donald Trump's executive order to cease funding for NPR and PBS is unlawful and unenforceable. https://to.pbs.org/4bO3Ndy

Judge blocks Trump's executive order to end federal funding for PBS and NPR

A federal judge agreed to permanently block the Trump administration from implementing a presidential directive to end federal funding for NPR and PBS.

pbs.org

The Associated Press @apnews.com · 4mo ago

BREAKING: A judge blocks a Trump administration order to end federal funding for NPR and PBS.

Judge blocks Trump order to end funding for National Public Radio and Public Broadcasting Service

A federal judge has agreed to permanently block the Trump administration from implementing a presidential directive to end federal funding for National Public Radio and the Public Broadcasting Service.U.S.

bit.ly

Josh Gerstein @joshgerstein.bsky.social · 4mo ago

'IS THIS A CATCH-22? IS THIS KAFKA?': Judge stews over Pentagon press changes that NY Times says defy a court order to restore access for journalists www.politico.com/news/2026/03...

Judge appears skeptical of Pentagon’s latest press restrictions: ‘Is this a Catch-22?’

U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman previously voided the Pentagon’s restrictive press access policy instituted last year.

politico.com

Mark Joseph Stern @mjsdc.bsky.social · 5mo ago

The Supreme Court refuses to review an odious 5th Circuit decision granting qualified immunity to Texas officials who arrested a citizens-journalist in retaliation against her posing questions to public officials. Sotomayor has an appropriately furious dissent: www.supremecourt.gov/orders/court...

JUSTICE SOTOMAYOR, dissenting from the denial of certiorari.
Petitioner Priscilla Villarreal is a reporter who was arrested for doing something journalists do every day: posing
questions to a public official. Specifically, Villarreal twice
texted with a police officer to corroborate information Villarreal already knew about events that had occurred within
her community. That officer voluntarily provided the information Villarreal sought, and Villarreal published those
facts, consistent with her role as a journalist. Six months
later, Villarreal was arrested for asking those questions.
Making matters worse, Villarreal alleges that the arrest followed a months-long effort by a police department and district attorney’s office to retaliate against her because they
disliked much of her reporting on their activities. Of course,
that reporting was often critical of them.
It should be obvious that this arrest violated the First
Amendment. Yet the Fifth Circuit held that the officials
were entitled to qualified immunity, and now Villarreal is
left without a remedy. The Court today makes a grave error
by declining to hear this case.

Charlie Savage @charliesavage.bsky.social · 5mo ago

Striking Down Pentagon Press Limits, Judge Vindicates Independent Journalism The ruling cut deeper than left-versus-right politics, declaring that the policy imposed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is unconstitutional. www.nytimes.com/2026/03/20/u...

Striking Down Pentagon Press Limits, Judge Vindicates Independent Journalism

nytimes.com

Chris Geidner @chrisgeidner.bsky.social · 5mo ago

BREAKING: Federal judge tosses out provisions in Pentagon’s new press policy — which most longtime reporters refuse to sign on to — as violations of the First and Fifth Amendments. Background: www.lawdork.com/p/doj-is-bar... Opinion: storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
)
THE NEW YORK TIMES
COMPANY, et al.,
Plaintiffs,
V.
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, et al.,
Defendants.
Civil Action No. 25-04218 (PLF)
)
OPINION
A primary purpose of the First Amendment is to enable the press to publish what
it will and the public to read what it chooses, free of any official proscription. Those who drafted the First Amendment believed that the nation's security requires a free press and an informed people and that such security is endangered by governmental suppression of political speech.
That principle has preserved the nation's security for almost 250 years. It must not be abandoned now.

In short, the defendants have not shown that the Department is entitled to a
remand without vacatur. Accordingly, the Court will vacate the challenged provisions of the Policy.
IV. CONCLUSION
The Court recognizes that national security must be protected, the security of our
troops must be protected, and war plans must be protected. But especially in light of the country's recent incursion into Venezuela and its ongoing war with Iran, it is more important than ever that the public have access to information from a variety of perspectives about what its government is doing so that the public can support government policies, if it wants to support them; protest, if it wants to protest; and decide based on full, complete, and open information who they are going to vote for in the next election. As Justice Brandeis correctly observed,
"sunlight is the most powerful of all disinfectants." N.Y. Times Co. v. Sullivan, 376 U.S. 254, 305 (1964) (Goldberg, J., concurring) (footnote omitted).

For the foregoing reasons, the Court will GRANT the plaintiffs' motion for
summary judgment and DENY the defendants' cross-motion for summary judgment. An Order
consistent with this Opinion will issue this same day.
SO ORDERED.
PAUL L. FRIEDMAN
United States District Judge
DATE: 3120|26

Katie Townsend @ktownsend.bsky.social · 5mo ago

Judge Rules Pentagon Restrictions on Press Are Unconstitutional www.nytimes.com/2026/03/20/b...

Judge Rules Pentagon Restrictions on Press Are Unconstitutional

nytimes.com

Katie Townsend @ktownsend.bsky.social · 5mo ago

I’m thrilled to be joining the board of @documentary.org! IDA’s support and advocacy for documentary filmmakers is unmatched; it’s an honor to be a part of this vital organization. deadline.com/2026/03/inte...

International Documentary Association Adds Four To Board

The International Documentary Association has added four new board members: Jonathan Gray, Susan Margolin, Jennifer Tiexiera, and Katie Townsend.

deadline.com

Katie Townsend @ktownsend.bsky.social · 5mo ago

Federal judge appears skeptical of Pentagon's restrictions on press access www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...

Federal judge appears skeptical of Pentagon’s restrictions on press access

Defense Department policy instituted last year prohibits gathering or publishing any information that isn’t authorized by the government.

nbcnews.com

Katie Townsend @ktownsend.bsky.social · 6mo ago

New opinion for @us.theguardian.com: www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

The arrests of Don Lemon and Georgia Fort are a danger to all Americans | Theodore J Boutrous, Jr and Katie Townsend

We are witnessing a dangerous escalation in the Trump administration’s attacks on the press and a clear threat to first amendment freedoms

theguardian.com

The New York Times @nytimes.com · 8mo ago

The New York Times sued the Pentagon on Thursday, arguing that the Defense Department infringed on the constitutional rights of its journalists by imposing a set of new restrictions on reporting about the military. Read more: nyti.ms/44CRJZY

David Folkenflik @davidfolkenflik.bsky.social · last yr.

NEWS: NPR and three Colorado public radio stations sue Trump White House over effort to ban federal funding for NPR & PBS The lawsuit calls Trump's executive order "textbook retaliation" for protected free speech - threatening public radio My story: www.npr.org/2025/05/27/n...

NPR and Colorado public radio stations sue Trump White House

NPR and three Colorado public radio stations are suing the Trump administration over the president's executive order seeking to ban the use of federal money for NPR and PBS.

npr.org

Student Press Law Center @splc.org · last yr.

We're thrilled to welcome five new SPLC board members, who will help us strengthen our efforts to promote the rights of student journalists. ➡️ loom.ly/2jX6uMU Welcome @katiefallow.bsky.social, Charlotte Hampton, Katelyn Polantz, @amysummersnyc.bsky.social and @ktownsend.bsky.social. 🎉

Five legal, journalism, communications leaders join SPLC board - Student Press Law Center

The Student Press Law Center is pleased to announce that veteran journalist Steven A. Holmes has been elected as chair of the SPLC Board of Directors, and five leaders in media law, journalism and com...

loom.ly

Ben King @brknyc.bsky.social · last yr.

I collaborated with the cool dudes at @status.news on this limited edition shirt to coincide with the WHCD. 50% of proceeds will be donated to the legal defense fund of @rcfp.org. You (yes, YOU) can buy the shirt here: shop.status.news/products/pro...

Katie Townsend @ktownsend.bsky.social · last yr.

A beautiful morning at the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival. I’m excited to be here speaking to documentary filmmakers about navigating defamation threats & other legal risks. Huge thanks to Doc Shop & the amazing folks at the UCLA Doc Film Legal Clinic for having me!

Katie Townsend @ktownsend.bsky.social · 2y ago

I’m thrilled to be rejoining this media and First Amendment litigation powerhouse. I was lucky to be able to start my career at Gibson Dunn and I can’t think of a place I’d rather be at this moment. www.gibsondunn.com/leading-firs...

Leading First Amendment Media Litigator Katie Townsend Rejoins Gibson Dunn as Partner in Los Angeles and D.C.

Gibson Dunn is pleased to announce that Katie Townsend has rejoined the firm’s Litigation and Media, Entertainment, and Technology Practice Groups as a partner in the Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. ...

gibsondunn.com

Katie Townsend @ktownsend.bsky.social · 2y ago

Some, as they say, personal news: After more than a decade, today is my last day at the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press . . . www.rcfp.org

Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press

The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press provides free legal guides and resources to help reporters understand their rights.

rcfp.org

Anna Merlan @annamerlan.bsky.social · 2y ago

You're going to hear a lot about Altadena, a beautiful, eccentric, really special community that suffered massive losses. If you haven't had a chance to visit, help them rebuild when it's time by coming, supporting local businesses and donating; they don't have the resources some other areas do.

Mark Joseph Stern @mjsdc.bsky.social · 2y ago

I really appreciate Judge Rovner, of the 7th Circuit, calling out the lack of transparent public access to federal dockets. It is still far too difficult for litigants, the press, and the public to access court records! It's a serious problem! media.ca7.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/Opin...

Although that video is available on the district court docket at R. 201,
it is cumbersome for the public to access. A member of the public must
first contact the Certified Copy Desk, wait for an invoice, pay the invoice,
wait for the payment to be processed, and then wait for a URL via email.
If, in fact, it becomes more common for district courts and appellate courts
to decide cases based on video evidence, it will be imperative to have more
easily available public access to those videos. A litigant ought to be able
to argue to the court about the ways in which the videos in her particular
case are similar to or different from the videos analyzed by courts in other
cases. Moreover, a transparent court system requires the public to have
easy access to the videos on which courts are relying in granting summary
judgment

Katie Townsend @ktownsend.bsky.social · 2y ago

Glad to see erikwemple.bsky.social writing about this; it’s so often overlooked. Local journalists are facing everything from denials of access to threats and harassment - with far fewer resources to defend themselves than national newsrooms. www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...

Opinion | How much abuse can a local newspaper reporter take?

Republicans claim Tom Lisi’s reporting is lies to promote a liberal agenda. How should he respond?

washingtonpost.com

Kai Ryssdal @kairyssdal.bsky.social · 2y ago

Wow. And huh

Kyle Cheney@kyledcheney.bsky.social · 2y ago

JUST IN: A day after Trump and George Stephanopoulos were ordered to appear for depositions, they settled the case. ABC has agreed to make a $15 million contribution to Trump presidential museum/foundation and air an apology for mischaracterizing the E. Jean Carroll verdict.

Matt Peterson @mattpeterson.bsky.social · 2y ago

Just four months after his release from Russian prison, Evan Gershkovich has the lead byline on an incredible story about the ultrasecret Russian agency behind his kidnapping. He and the Journal identified the precise individuals involved. Astonishing. www.wsj.com/world/russia...

DKRO leaders also enjoy rare access to Putin himself. One of the few Russian officials privileged enough to play ice hockey with the president is the head of the FSB’s first service, which oversees DKRO, Lt. Gen. Vladislav Menschikov. He personally briefed Putin before and after my arrest, the Journal reported while I was incarcerated. Barely known outside a small circle of Russia analysts, the spy chief previously ran the presidential directorate responsible for Russia’s nuclear bunkers.

His subordinate, who runs DKRO itself—the goateed Lt. Gen Minaev—has a hands-on role in selecting which Americans to arrest, and which Russians to trade them for. Awarded the prestigious Hero of Russia medal for bravery during Russia’s war in Chechnya, he is described by intelligence chiefs who have met him as frighteningly perceptive. “He understands everything about his environment—everything,” said one Western officer who has met him several times. “He knows immediately who is a shark and who is a pussy.”

Minaev usually stays in the shadows, but he was present from the beginning to the end of the Aug. 1 swap. I first saw him when I was escorted from the Lefortovo prison onto a gray coach with other prisoners on the morning of the exchange. At 10:30 a.m., Minaev climbed aboard and stood at the front, resting his arms on the backs of two seats on either side of the aisle. He was a representative of the FSB, he announced, and we prisoners were gathered for an exchange. He didn’t give his name.