Media on a positive note-how many of you have video cameras

[liveoaktx]

or audio recorders?

Been thinking about this for quite a while. Why should we have to rely on whether our point of view happens to make the news? Take a camera, preferably a video camera, with you to a government meeting and record it. Then put it on the internet and put links to it all over the place. A blogger last year got into the White House press conference to ask questions- is there anything stopping people that live in areas where major news is happening from attending, too, if convenient? Are you going to see Feingold or Kerry or someone else speak? Take a tape recorder.

[sui generis]

1. many public forums in big cities have signs posted

no videotaping or recording allowed, and they metal detector you on the way in and will actually hold your camera in some cases. You can have recording equipment permanently impounded in a courtroom.

If you do it, don't ask permission, and don't get caught.

[liveoaktx]

3. Government meetings don't fall into that category, at least in my state

We have an "open meetings" act that lets anyone that attends record meetings and publish them. I don't know about all states, but I would imagine that most, if not all, have something similar.

If it's a press conference, I'll bet anyone can bring recording equipment. I am on an RSS channel that pushes out PR stuff all the time and lists the time and date as well as a contact person.

[sui generis]

9. I don't believe we are allowed to record city council

here in Dallas, although it is recorded by the city.

Also, most court rooms, including county commissioner meetings won't allow it because it's a "disruption".

[liveoaktx]

10. You're in Texas-you can do it.... I called up the AG last year

to ask specifically about this after reading about the "Open Meetings" act on the internet just to verify. the AG's office (Austin) told me to print out the relevant section and carry it with me.

I went to the local county commish meeting to ask about it before I called the AG. The judge tried to tell me that the meetings were not "public" which took me aback, but they sure are open. Same thing with city meetings.

I don't know about recording court hearings or trials, haven't tried it.

Same thing applies to school board meetings, water board meetings, etc. They are ALL open meetings that can be recorded in the State of Texas.
>>>Editing to add this link with a snip
http://www.utexas.edu/coc/journalism/SOURCE/journal_links/l_a_page2.htm
<snip>
Any member of the public is permitted to attend a meeting that is open to the public under the Texas Open Meetings Act. The act, however, does not entitle individuals to bring topics of discussion before the board or to speak about items on the agenda. Usually, however, the government body may allot time to individuals to speak at a public meeting.

An individual may record a meeting using audio or visual equipment, pending the equipment not disturb meeting’s order.
</snip>

I have stood at the back of the room to record meetings, do not block anyone's way and have never had a problem.

[sui generis]

11. awesome - thanks for the research

I actually have a little palmsized mini-dvd videocamera that I carry with me everywhere important, and another video cam (bad one) built into my Treo phone.

I won't hesitate to use it. Give you an example, I was driving to work late yesterday (late for me is during human hours) and encountered a lone cop in a school zone. He was taking pictures of drivers with a radar gun - not pulling them over or anything. I am certain I got a ticket since I'm usually long at work before and after school zones are in effect and my street turns left ONTO the last twenty feet of the school zone - enough for me to get to 35.

So, this public safety officer is doing nothing for public safety, and certainly nothing in this "problem spot" to keep kids from being run over. I drove around the block, pulled up behind him and video taped him.

I can't wait to go to court. :bounce:

[jimshoes]

2. Sherlock Holmes

had his Baker Street Irregulars to keep him up on the latest goings on. We could do that easily. The hard part is I wouldn't know how to get the vid on the net. Good idea though.

[liveoaktx]

5. But that's actually the easy part once you have step by step

instructions. I put, for example, some time back, in the research section, how to do it. I've also seen some links on the internet for how to do it. It may be a hurdle but it's a small one, and shouldn't stop anyone that is part of an important event from being able to show or air it by audio.

[jimshoes]

7. Thanks much,

I'll have a look at that.

[ClassWarrior]

4. Welcome to the world of Max Headroom... Great idea, live!

NGU.

[Dunvegan]

6. My husband and I film local San Francisco political actions...

...like protests and vigils...and my Treo cellphone is equipped with video recording software.

We've done one film: "LiveHives: theBuzz @ theBarricades" and presented it at DefCon XI.

We're also putting together a short film with references to local actions, vigils, and Cindy Sheehan.

We hope to submit our films to Al Gore's new San Francisco-based network "Current TV"...Anyone can submit to Current. Go to their website at http://www.current.tv com for more information. It's grass-roots reporting oriented.

If you have a camera, yes...get involved! Check out Current TV!

[liveoaktx]

8. A thought about television versus the internet

I agree with you about Current, that it's good to submit videos to them-for those who have the channel, it's probably good to watch.

I'd like to see this on the internet, though, via a listing that would allow someone to find it and then view it... on demand. The problem I have with television is the serial nature of the transmission, that you have to wait passively until or if you happen to come upon what you really want to see. (The TV people count on that, of course, and stuff plenty of ads in the way).

Maybe you know if there's such a thing that exists right now, a place that lists videos from wherever, where you could go browse a list and find what you want, perhaps by location, and watch it... right then.

I think it's great you're doing that, incidentally!