MANCHESTER – Award-winning newspaper columnist and broadcast commentator Kathleen Parker will help honor New Hampshire defenders of the First Amendment tonight at the Nackey S. Loeb School of Communications First Amendment Awards.

Concord attorney William Chapman, a nationally recognized leader in fighting for open government and free press, and the late New Hampshire publisher Robert Foster will be recognized at the seventh annual event.

Parker's syndicated, twice-weekly column appears in more than 350 newspapers. She joined The Washington Post Writers Group in 2006 and is a regular guest on "The Chris Matthews Show" on NBC.

Her remarks will precede presentation of the Nackey S. Loeb First Amendment award to Chapman and the Loeb School's Quill & Ink Award to Foster, who died this fall.

Chapman, of the Concord law firm of Orr and Reno, has been representing New Hampshire media outlets for 37 years. He has argued dozens of cases involving access to records and government proceedings and has helped set the standard for protecting reporters' sources in criminal cases and public access to court and government records.

Foster was publisher of the newspapers of the George Foster Publishing Co., including Foster's Daily Democrat in Dover and The Citizen of Laconia. He will be honored for working tirelessly to shine light on the workings of government and providing unwavering support to his paper's efforts to enforce the public's right to know.

Led by presenting sponsor Wheelabrator Technologies, Inc., the First Amendment Awards are backed by a wide variety of business, civic and media leaders. Other major supporters include: PSNH, Bank of America, NextEra Energy Seabrook Station, TD Bank, Steward of Prosperity, John and Kitty Sununu, Mosse & Mosse Associates, Sean Mahoney, National Grid, Joe and Signe McQuaid, BAE Systems, Catholic Medical Center, Lincoln Financial Group, The Common Man Family of Restaurants, Dyn Inc., SilverTech, Fidelity Investments, JW Tumbles, the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.

The event at the Radisson Hotel in Manchester is a fundraiser that enables the school to offer free classes on topics including the First Amendment, journalism, sports writing, editorial writing, political writing, editorial cartoons, photography and broadcasting. Nearly 4,000 people have participated in classes, workshops and other school-sponsored events.

The late Nackey S. Loeb, president and publisher of the New Hampshire Union Leader, founded the nonprofit school in 1999 to promote understanding and appreciation of the First Amendment and to foster interest, integrity and excellence in journalism and other forms of communication.

Individual tickets are $50. Tables of eight are $500. Click here for tickets.