Presented by the MJC and the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press
As Minnesota journalists prepare for the possibility of National Guard deployments and a possible increase in the presence of federal agents in the state, the Minnesota Journalism Center and the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press are partnering to offer training on journalists’ legal rights and responsibilities.
- When: Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025
- Time: 11 a.m. CT
- Where: Virtual, via Zoom
- RSVP: Register for the Zoom session
Who this is for: Journalists who may find themselves covering (or directing coverage of) protests, law enforcement or federal agent actions and/or instances of social unrest — out in the field, or back in the newsroom.
What to expect: RCFP trainer Jennifer Nelson will discuss legal risks when newsgathering during protests and will provide an overview of your legal rights when interacting with law enforcement.
** Please note that this session will not be recorded. **
About the trainer
Jennifer Nelson serves as the Reporters Committee’s director of pre-publication review & journalist support. She leads the organization’s pre-publication and pre-broadcast review practice, oversees the publication of and updates to its 200+ legal guides, supervises its legal hotline for journalists, and directs its newsroom legal training program.
Prior to joining the Reporters Committee, Jen was a litigation associate in the Washington, D.C. office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, where her practice focused on complex litigation and congressional investigations. Before law school, she covered breaking news for the City & Region section as an editorial assistant and freelance reporter for The Boston Globe. During her tenure, she investigated and co-authored a front page, 3,000-word investigative report on restaurant health inspection practices in Boston.
Jen earned her J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law in 2011, where she was a managing editor of the Virginia Journal of International Law. During law school, she traveled to Egypt as a Cowan Human Rights Fellow to research government-imposed restrictions on journalists, bloggers, and social media activists. Jen earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism from Northeastern University in 2007.
About the sponsors
The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press (RCFP) is the leading pro bono legal services organization for journalists and newsrooms in the U.S. The Reporters Committee provides legal representation, amicus curiae support, and other legal resources at no cost to protect First Amendment freedoms and the newsgathering rights of journalists across the country.
From broadcast journalists to documentary filmmakers to independent freelancers, journalists of all kinds can contact the Reporters Committee for assistance — no matter what legal obstacles they face.
The Minnesota Journalism Center supports a more vibrant, equitable, and sustainable ecosystem for journalism in Minnesota through educational initiatives, applied research and engagement with newsrooms and journalists across the state.
About the Minnesota Journalism Center
We support more vibrant, equitable and sustainable news ecosystem in Minnesota through educational initiatives, applied research and engagement with journalists and newsrooms across the state.
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