Newsroom Counsel

First Look Media
Published
July 4, 2018
Location
New York, New York
Category
Job Type

Description

The Role:

First Look Media seeks an newsroom attorney with First Amendment, Freedom of Information Act and Copyright experience to join the legal team, providing legal oversight of its journalism operations, including the investigative website The Intercept, the documentary unit Field of Vision, Topic.com, Topic Studios, and The Nib.

The position will also help manage First Look Media’s Press Freedom Defense Fund, which provides financial support to media outlets facing legal threats to free expression and seeking open access to information in the public interest. The Newsroom Counsel will participate in the fund’s advisory committee and review incoming requests for support. The fund is administered in partnership with the Reporter’s Committee for Freedom of the Press.

Responsibilities:

Among the key responsibilities of the Newsroom Counsel are general media law duties including:

  • Pre-publication and pre-broadcast review
  • FOIA prosecutions and appeals
  • Work with research and editorial teams to develop and maintain editorial standards
  • Privacy, encryption and secure journalism legal oversight
  • Evaluation of fair use claims
  • In collaboration with FLM business legal team, handle licensing of intellectual property, copyright and trademark, review of contracts, including content and distribution licenses
  • Partner with FLM business legal team to negotiate, draft and review a broad spectrum of contracts: content, distribution, employee, contractor and vendor, master services agreements and related scopes of work, marketing agreements, publishing agreements, events agreements, and facilities-related agreements.

Qualifications:

  • Experience in vetting and prepublication/broadcast review, including on National Security reporting and investigation, in multiple formats including documentary as well as cartoons, and long and short-form investigatory works, around the world
  • 3 - 5 years of experience in First Amendment Law, Freedom of Information Act, Copyright and related fields
  • Experience in defamation and privacy law
  • Experience in copyright and fair use analysis
  • Knowledge of licensing of intellectual property law
  • Availability during non-office hours for occasional breaking news stories or time-sensitive legal matters
  • Strong communication skills; ability to assess and concisely convey legal risks to the organization
  • Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work collaboratively
  • General knowledge of labor and human resources law helpful
  • Comfort with reporting on and publication of confidential or leaked documents in the public interest

The Company:

A bold, independent spirit defines everything we do at First Look Media – from journalism that holds the powerful accountable, to arts & entertainment that shapes our culture. Launched by eBay founder and philanthropist Pierre Omidyar, First Look Media is built on the belief that freedom of expression and of the press, and fiercely independent perspectives, are vital to a healthy democracy and a vibrant culture.

From The Intercept, dedicated to fearless, adversarial journalism to Topic, our Academy Award™-winning (Spotlight) entertainment studio, we develop, produce and finance content for all screens including feature films, television, digital series and podcasts.

First Look is also home to Field of Vision, the filmmaker-driven documentary unit, and the Nib, a site for the most provocative satirical and political comics.

Click here to view the original posting and to apply.

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