Oklahoma Journalism and Law - Tulsa

Abuses of inmates. Groundwater pollution from abandoned oil and gas wells. Questionable state and county expenditures. Police misconduct. Fishy government contracts and severance payments for public officials.

These stories would not be made public to Oklahomans without investigative journalists capable of breaking big stories, and the free legal support they received from the Oklahoma Local Legal Initiative.

Please join the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press for a conversation about the critical role that legal support for journalists plays in strengthening public accountability across Oklahoma.

The evening program at American Solera will feature key Oklahoma journalists sharing how free legal support has helped news organizations pursue important investigative and accountability reporting — securing public records, challenging government secrecy, navigating legal risks, and defending First Amendment rights.

• Dylan Goforth, Executive Editor of The Frontier
• Nick Bowlin, investigative reporter, ProPublica/The Frontier
• Ziva Branstetter, CEO of the Tulsa Flyer
• Other Oklahoma journalists to be identified

Reporters Committee's Vice President of Development Michael Zwirn and Oklahoma attorney Leslie Briggs will discuss the initiative's history and impact, why legal services are essential infrastructure for local journalism, and the opportunities ahead.

The program will be followed by a networking reception and an opportunity to connect with Oklahoma philanthropic and civic leaders, journalists, lawyers, and Reporters Committee leadership