ANNOUNCING Jay Bender to present on court access at NNAF's Annual Convention & Trade Show

Aug 1, 2023

Jay Bender (front right) sits with a group of students from the University of South Carolina School of Journalism and Mass Communication whom had traveled to Walterboro, South Carolina, to cover the sights and sounds around town and gather reactions to the Murdaugh trial. Pictured from left: (front row) Abby Foncannon, Margaret Walker, Taylor Kaye Beltz, Jay Bender, (back row) Caroline Barry, Eileen Waddell, Wade Rainey, Grace Brown, Raymond Escoto and G.E. Hinson.

South Carolina First Amendment attorney Jay Bender has signed on to the agenda of the NNA Foundation's Annual Convention & Trade Show — scheduled for Sept. 28-30, 2023, in Washington, D.C. — presenting a primer on court access in today’s age, speaking from his recent experiences serving as a liaison between the court and the media for the ongoing Murdaugh trial. Bender will present Saturday, Sept. 30, at 1 p.m., leading into an afternoon break. The event concludes with the presentation of the Better Newspaper Contest award winners. This year's event is combined with the Congressional Action Team Summit. Details at NNAFoundation.org/convention

Serving as longtime South Carolina Press Association general counsel, Bender will cover gaining access, press passes and electronic usage.

Bender is a retired media law professor in the journalism and law schools at the University of South Carolina where he holds the Reid H. Montgomery Freedom of Information Chair.