Texas Reporters Fight for Access, Public Records

By: Michelle Garcia | CJR

Over the summer months, Texas became a hothouse of media access issues surrounding some high profile stories—from Gov. Rick Perry’s travel records, to access to court proceedings and records of chemical stockpiles, to the right to visually record police activity.

From the media’s perspective, some of these battles ended in victories, some in losses, and others are ongoing. Together, they point to the need for an ongoing effort on the part of media organizations and other transparency watchdogs to uphold the state’s open records laws and right of access.