President’s Letter

Government transparency and First Amendment freedoms are not abstract ideals; they are practical tools. They let people see what government is doing, ask hard questions, and speak freely without fear. When those tools weaken, accountability weakens with them.

That is why the Georgia First Amendment Foundation (GFAF) exists. GFAF is a nonpartisan Georgia nonprofit dedicated to defending open government and First Amendment rights. The work is simple to describe and hard to sustain. We work to ensure public business is conducted in public, that records laws mean what they say, and that speech and press freedoms are treated as core civic infrastructure, not optional conveniences.

GFAF advances this mission in a few concrete ways:

• Advocacy at the Capitol: Tracking legislation that affects open records, open meetings, and core civil liberties, and speaking up when proposals would narrow public access or chill protected activity.
• Legal advocacy: Supporting cases that protect the public’s right to know and pushing back when government actors try to hide information through loopholes, delay, or over-redaction.
• Training and education: Offering practical guidance and resources for journalists, civic groups, and community members, plus training for public officials who want to get compliance right.
• Public resources: Maintaining plain-language materials that help people understand how Georgia’s transparency laws work and how to use them.

GFAF remains active in promoting these issues around the state in many ways, including:

• Hosting the Georgia Bar, Media, and Judiciary Conference that brings together stakeholders from a variety of backgrounds at the intersection of the First Amendment,
• Celebrating champions of open government at our annual Weltner Freedom of Information awards, and
• Providing just-in-time education about topics of interest to Georgians from employee speech rights and the rights of peaceful protesters to press freedom and responsible news gathering.

This is not work that can run on good intentions alone. It takes sustained attention, steady relationships, and people who care enough to stay informed even when the headlines are exhausting.

The most valuable thing supporters can do is stay connected to the issues. Sign up for GFAF updates. Share reliable information when conversations get sloppy. Show up when transparency is being debated locally. Attend events when possible. And when it makes sense, support the Foundation financially so the work can continue year after year.

The law should work for the people, not against them. GFAF will continue to use education, advocacy, and, when necessary, the courts, to defend the public’s right to know and the freedoms that make civic life possible.

Thank you for staying engaged and for standing with GFAF.

Sincerely,

John Mack Freeman
President, Georgia First Amendment Foundation