Registration for the 2008 CFAC Assembly

CFAC's annual Free Speech and Open Government Assembly, conducted this year in conjunction with the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism, will be held Friday and Saturday, Oct. 17 & 18, at the Journalism School campus in Berkeley. Although admission is free, you need to register online (below) to be assured of a space.

The annual Free Speech and Open Government Assembly brings together the best and brightest in law, journalism and public policy to discuss leading First Amendment issues of the day. If you can attend just one professional conference a year, this is  it.

Speakers this year include acclaimed federal jurist Alex Kozinski, the controversial  appeals court Chief Judge whose famously conservative views reflect a distinctly libertarian approach to First Amendment freedoms. This year's program also includes a showing of the new, award-winning documentary, "Secrecy," with a discussion led by the film's director, Robb Moss.

We will also serve a rich menu of discussion groups on topics ranging from international censorship of the internet; to challenges to ethnic media's editorial independence; to an assessment of the distinct, yet symbiotic, roles of new and "mainstream" media in coverage of the Presidential elections. And much more, including workshops, led by leading lawyers and journalists, on use of FOI and free speech rights to unearth great news stories.

Check out the scheduled program for the 2008 Assembly below!

Sunday, July 20, 2008

The 2008 Assembly Scheduled Program

Directions to the UC Berkeley School of Journalism: From Interstate 580/80 towards Berkeley, take the University Ave exit and head east down University Ave. University Ave deadends into Oxford St, turn left at Oxford St and then right at Hearst Ave. The Journalism school is four blocks up on your right at the intersection of Hearst and Euclid Ave. There is public parking on Hearst Ave, just west of the school.

The Friday night screening will be in Sibley Auditorium, just south of the Journalism School, on the UC Berkeley campus.

Here is a map highlighting the Journalism School, Sibley Auditorium and the parking structure.

FRIDAY, OCT. 17

6:00-7:30PM
Film: Showing of new documentary, ”Secrecy“

7:40-9:00
Reception and discussion of film with directors Robb Moss and Peter Galison

SATURDAY, OCT. 18

9:00-10:10AM

Panel: Ethnic Media
Ethnic media face unique challenges in covering the news of their
communities. For ethnic media in California, a threat to news
organizations’ editorial independence and free speech rights often
comes from their own readers. Why do some ethnic audiences react with
such intensity? How should ethnic media respond? Ethnic media must
also figure out how to remain relevant to their communities, as core
readership ages and younger generations, following the patterns of
early 20th Century ethnic assimilation, opt for English over the
homeland language of their parents.

Ahn Do, Publisher and Editor, Nguoi-Viet Daily News
Jamal Dajani, LinkTV
Sandy Close, New America Media
Kaiping Liu, Deputy Editor, World Journal-SF
Taesoo Jeong, Editor-in-Chief, Korea Times-SF
Andrew Lam, New America Media
Juan Gonzales, El Tecolote
Kevin Weston, New America Media

10:25-11:35

Panel: New Channels for News and Information
YouTube, a crucial news source in the 2008 election cycle, did not exist as of the Kerry v. Bush contest. The panel of leading digerati examine the latest steps in the evolution of the media/information ecosystem and their relevance to the political system. Through the lens of the current presidential election, panelists will also examine the rise (and fall) of competing media platforms and the increasingly symbiotic relationship between “traditional” and “nontraditional” media.

Roy Sekoff, Editor, Huffington Post
Jay Walsh, Head of Communications, Wikimedia Foundation
Robert Rosenthal, Executive Editor, Center for Investigative Reporting
David Satterfield, Managing Editor, San Jose Mercury News
Olivia Ma, News Manager, YouTube
Roger Myers, Holme Roberts & Owen

Workshop: Getting the Most Out of City Hall and Police
Leading investigative reporters and legal experts pour through
the public files, explaining what key information can be gleaned from
them, where to go to get it and how to overcome obstacles to access.
Knowing your rights is just the starting point.

Karl Olson, Levy Ram and Olson
Thomas Peele, Contra Costa Times
Seth Rosenfeld, San Francisco Chronicle

11:50-1:00

Panel: Post 9/11 Secrecy in Government Intelligence and Law Enforcement
Post-9/11, the federal government has erected a wall of secrecy around its law enforcement and intelligence activities, especially
in the realm of communications surveillance. Panelists will discuss whether the balance between national security interests and first amendment rights is appropriate--with particular
emphasis on the government’s stance in FOIA litigation, its use of the “state secrets privilege” in cases concerning the NSA and the latest information on secret surveillance practices
--and will consider how that may change under the next administration.

Jon Eisenberg, lawyer who represented al-Haramain Islamic Foundation
Marcia Hofmann, Electronic Frontier Foundation
Kevin Bankston, Electronic Frontier Foundation, battled US government over telephone surveillance
Declan McCullagh, CNET Chief Political Consultant

Workshop: Accessing government databases
Leading investigative reporters and legal experts discuss the
enormous amount of information now being stored electronically by
governments, how to obtain that information and overcome obstacles to
access.

Rachel Matteo-Boehm, Holmes Roberts and Owen
Erin McCormick, San Francisco Chronicle
Phillip Reese, Sacramento Bee

1:15-2:15

Lunch and award ceremony

2:15-3:15

Featured speaker: Head Judge Alex Kozinski of the 9th Circuit

3:30-4:40

Panel: International censorship of the Internet
The internet’s decentralization and universal accessibility were
supposed to create a global free speech zone, beyond the power of any
government to regulate or control. Not so, it turns out. Many
governments now block their citizens’ access to websites deemed
offensive or threatening by censors, with China having built the most
systematic and comprehensive system of internet censorship, the
“Great Firewall.” What exactly does China censor and why? Can Google,
Microsoft and like companies force the government to change? Could
the World Trade Organization, in a case initiated by CFAC, force
China to curtail its censorship?

Xiao Qiang, Director, China Internet Project, and Editor, China Digital Times
Libby Liu, President, Radio Free Asia
Peter Scheer, Executive Director, California First Amendment Coalition
Lauren Gelman, Executive Director, Center for Internet and Society, Stanford Law School
Lewis Segall, Counsel to Google
Jim Dempsey, Center for Democracy and Technology

Workshop: Getting the Most Out of Court and County Files
Panelists, including journalists and lawyers, follow the
trail of public records from birth to death and explain just what
information is available, where you go to get it and how to overcome
obstacles to access.

Tom Newton, California Newspapers Publishers Association
Tim Crews, Sacramento Valley Mirror
Burt Robinson, San Jose Mercury News
James Chadwick, Sheppard Mullin Richter and Hampton

Assembly ends at 4:45

**Throughout Saturday attendees can see demos of Maplight.org, a
sophisticated web-based tool to highlight the connection between
campaign contributions and legislative outcomes.

See Page 2 for 2007 Assembly

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