New Edition Of RTDNA’s ‘Cameras In The Courts’

The Radio Television Digital News Association is launching the latest edition of its Cameras in the Courts Guide, with completely updated information from every state and courts at the federal level. It covers rules regarding video and still cameras, microphones, laptops, smartphones and more, including even live blogging and tweeting.

Nearly every state in the union has some provisions on the books to allow electronic media coverage in courtrooms. But procedures at different court levels vary widely. In some states, the courts are presumed to be open unless there are compelling reasons to exclude cameras. In others, so many conditions must be met before cameras are allowed that, in practice, coverage is virtually nonexistent.

The guide includes links to the constitutional provisions, state laws, administrative orders or policies that form the basis of each state’s rules, along with links to media guides, sources of video and audio coverage and more.

“It is our goal to have courtrooms in every state and at every level open to electronic journalists and the newsgathering tools they use every day,” said RTDNA Executive Director Mike Cavender. “The judicial branch of government conducts the public’s business, and that business should be accessible to all.”

RTDNA says it can also use your help to improve the guide. If you know of additional resources, such as your state’s listing of court pool coordinators, press association guides to your state’s rules or other resources that would help journalists understand how they can cover the courts, please let RTDNA know and send along links to the relevant pages online.