Pennsylvania may ban tweeting in courts
Reporters tweeting and texting during court proceedings may be a thing of the past if a new proposal in Pennsylvania is approved. But the newly introduced idea isn’t seeing support from journalists across the state.
Journalism professors at Penn State have formed a committee to look into a proposal that is likely to be made to the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania about personal electronic devices in court, like cellphones and tablets.
The Criminal Procedural Rules Committee submitted a proposal published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin in January, saying it will likely make recommendations to the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania regarding the end of electronic transmission in Pa. courts. According to the proposal, the use of personal communications devices during courtroom procedures will be prohibited to avoid disruptions and witness intimidation.
“The journalism department in the College of Communications Wednesday morning formed a committee to look into the proposed law that would restrict electronic communications from courtrooms,” said committee member Martin E. Halstuk.
Halstuk, who teaches mass communications law, said there are clearly First Amendment implications in the proposal that need to be examined.
The committee report should be released “soon,” Halstuk said.
Professors John Dillon, Robert Richards and Cindy Simmons also serve on the committee.
The committee is looking at how the law will affect public interest and the practice of journalism, Halstuk said.
“It would be useful to transmit stories, but if the state courts say you can’t do this, it may fall under their authority,” Halstuk said.
Halstuk said isn’t clear whether this law would fall under federal or state jurisdiction. Determining this is the responsibility of professors and professional journalists, he said.
The committee needs to determine if electronic transmission falls under the same category as cameras in the courtroom. If so, it is a state-by-state decision, Halstuk said.
Some journalists said they think the more media allowed in the courtroom, the better informed the public will be about the proceedings.
“As an industry, we should urge the court to look at ways to make the public more aware,” Richard Wyckoff, President of the Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters said.
The public will get a firsthand account of someone who is actually sitting in the courtroom if texting and tweeting are allowed, Wyckoff said. This should be a minimum right of journalists reporting from the courtroom, he said.
He said the court is arguing that texting and tweeting in the courtroom cause a disruption, but he doesn’t see how that’s possible.
“The Supreme Court is able to establish rules, and we’re willing to work with the court. But given the success in other states, we believe the court will see this as a way to open it up to cameras and mics [in the future],” Wyckoff said.
Texting and tweeting from the courtroom are small steps that could lead to an even more open court, allowing the public to be informed more quickly and accurately, Wyckoff said.
similar legislation went through Tennessee... #ITYS
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