Inquiry of the Week (7/30/01)

Question:

May a citizen may make a sound recording of a council or board of commissioners meeting and transmit that over the Internet?

Answer:

The public has a right to make audio and video recordings of council or board of commissioners meetings, as long as it is done in a way that does not disrupt the meetings. See AGO 1998 No. 15. Given that right, we see no legal reason why a citizen could not transmit that recording over the Internet.

A citizen would not need council or board permission to make the recording or to transmit it over the Internet. However, if a citizen wanted to tap into the council or board's audio amplification system to obtain a clearer audio recording, he or she would need council or board permission for that.