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The news organization was connected to Covington & Burling
New York-based news organization finds copyright assistance through ProJourn
Epicenter NYC began as a newsletter to provide Queens residents and communities with COVID-19 information and resources. Since then, Epicenter has grown into a thriving multiplatform local news organization that connects New Yorkers to news, information, and each other.
S. Mitra Kalita, Epicenter’s publisher and co-founder, recently shared how crucial it is for small diverse publishers to access specialized resources such as pro bono legal assistance. Small publishers like Epicenter don’t count on internal legal teams or have an extensive budget to protect them in legal disputes or address issues that arise as part of their news gathering and publishing.
When Epicenter NYC was sued concerning issues related to a copyrighted image they had published on their site, they found a resolution through the help of pro bono attorneys. Thankfully, Epicenter NYC, through coordination with ProJourn, connected with pro bono counsel at Covington & Burling, who litigated this case from inception to resolution.
This was significant as litigation not only required a tremendous input of resources—including time from the news organization’s staff and legal counsel—but it also would have resulted in extensive legal costs, which were not a financial possibility for Epicenter. The legal representation was paramount as it came at no cost to Epicenter because of the generous pro bono assistance of Covington & Burling, a ProJourn partner law firm. And the organization ultimately prevailed.
“This lawsuit took more than a year of our time and energy (. . .) We could not face navigating the situation without the incredible support of the Reporters Committee and the introduction to Covington [&] Burling. What an invaluable resource for small publishers just trying to do our jobs to serve, cover, and reflect diverse communities.”
S. Mitra Kalita
ProJourn is an innovative approach to protecting journalists by equipping them with pro bono legal help at all stages of their work. We strive to narrow the gap between journalists with stories to tell and attorneys to support this crucial work.
