Tape recording committee meetings by public

[Guest Sandy]

Can a member of the press tape record the committee meeting discussion and then use it on the radio without stating that he is going to?

[Trina]

This is not a question about RONR (since the meeting apparently is over, and the recording has left the meeting room).

Under RONR, the assembly controls its meeting place. The assembly does not have to allow non-members (such as the reporter) to attend at all. The assembly can also set a policy on the use of recording devices in its meeting space.

After the fact, if a non-member is holding a recording in his hands, you're out of the realm of parliamentary procedure.

If this is a meeting of some sort of public body (which the attendance of the press suggests), other rules probably apply. Whether those rules say anything about the use of recording devices, or of the resulting recordings, might be something for you to research.

[Josh Martin]

Can a member of the press tape record the committee meeting discussion and then use it on the radio without stating that he is going to?

You need a lawyer, not a parliamentarian.

[Guest Doug Hess]

Your state should have set forth an official guide for the "Sunshine" or Open Governmental Meeting Laws that would contain information about whether meetings are subject to recording by the newsmedia. Logically, if it's a public meeting of a public body and anyone could hear what was said if they were there in person, there is no reason why a member of the media couldn't record that at play it on the air. It's not like they are broadcasting something that wasn't public. If it is a private organization and the newsmedia is an invited guest and the meeting is not subject to the normal sunshine laws, then that would be up to the body. But again, that is actually a sunshine law issue and depends on the type of organization it is. There are some exemptions to open meetings and open records, etc.