Know your rights: press freedom tips for guiding your November election coverage

As Election Day nears, journalists across the U.S. should prepare themselves for the likelihood of encountering an array of reporting challenges as they seek to interview voters, cover last minute campaigning, and observe conditions at polling places.

The Press Freedom Team at the National Press Club has compiled several timely resources for journalists to refresh themselves on their rights to report and sources for help if they encounter efforts to obstruct their newsgathering. 

Journalists have a general First Amendment right to gather news outside polling places “for the purpose of reporting on early election results," according to the election guide from the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. "Although many states today have polling-place restrictions to prevent voter intimidation and election fraud, courts have invalidated legislation that is aimed at preventing exit polling."

The Reporters Committee has a hotline for emergency help. After hours help is available by phone by calling 1-800-336-4243.

State press associations can also be sources for legal aid.

The Committee to Protect Journalists has developed a detailed guide and journalists safety kit and offers [email protected] as a point of contact.

The club’s own Journalism Institute has led multiple recent programs with advice for crafting sharp and responsible election-related headlines, how to identify and neutralize election-related disinformation, and how to contextualize polls to educate the public.