National Press Club to Host First Amendment Forum on July 21

The evening program features a keynote by journalist Catherine Herridge regarding her ongoing legal battle over confidential sources. A federal court held Herridge in civil contempt in February 2024 for her refusal to identify sources behind 2017 national security reports. With the Supreme Court recently denying her request to halt daily $800 fines, her case remains a focal point for national press advocacy. Following her remarks, the discussion will transition to a broader panel featuring Eric Hageman of Clare Locke LLP, media attorney Laura Handman, and veteran reporter Toni Locy. Locy brings personal experience to the conversation, having faced her own contempt ruling in 2008 while covering the FBI's investigation into the 2001 anthrax attacks. The session, which will be recorded for the radio program America at 250: Due Diligence, aims to analyze how government obligations to citizens have evolved since the nation's founding. Attendees must register in advance for the 6 p.m. event at the National Press Building in Washington, D.C.