RCFP names Eric Feder Local Legal Initiative director
Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press names Eric Feder as the Local Legal Initiative director
Today, the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press (RCFP) announced the appointment of Eric Feder as the director of its Local Legal Initiative. In his new role, Feder will oversee the program that provides free legal support to local news organizations, enabling them to engage in enterprise and investigative reporting within their communities.
Eric Feder joins the Reporters Committee after a distinguished career of nearly 13 years at the law firm Davis Wright Tremaine, where he served as a partner specializing in media, intellectual property, and commercial litigation.
According to Reporters Committee Vice President of Legal Programs Lisa Zycherman, “We are thrilled to welcome Eric to the Reporters Committee and the Local Legal Initiative. His extensive experience in protecting journalists’ legal rights makes him the perfect candidate to lead this team of local attorneys dedicated to providing essential legal resources to newsrooms.”
The Local Legal Initiative has been instrumental in transforming the local news landscape in several states, including Colorado, Indiana, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee. The program assists journalists in accessing public records, defending their rights to gather and report the news, and holding local governments accountable.
In 2024, the Local Legal Initiative achieved significant victories, such as securing transparency in a challenge to a secret city council meeting in Colorado, obtaining surveillance footage of violent incidents at a Tennessee jail, and uncovering records that fueled an investigation into Pennsylvania’s medical marijuana program.
As the director of the Local Legal Initiative, Eric Feder will oversee the program’s legal portfolios and its planned expansion to further support local newsrooms facing legal challenges and resource constraints.
Prior to joining the Reporters Committee, Feder clerked for Judge J. Paul Oetken and Judge Kimba M. Wood in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. He also worked as an associate at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher and holds a J.D. from the New York University School of Law.
The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press is a leading provider of pro bono legal services for journalists and news organizations in the United States. The organization offers direct legal representation, amicus curiae support, and other resources to safeguard First Amendment freedoms and journalists’ newsgathering rights.
Stay updated on the Reporters Committee’s work by signing up for newsletters and following them on social media platforms like Bluesky, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook.
