Torrance Co. works to limit media in government meetings

Torrance County Building

From KOB-TV.com - Torrance County leaders are grappling with how much access the media and the people with cameras have to public government meetings.  A few people with cameras have shown up to County Commission meetings and later broadcast the meetings on YouTube.com. Some of the commissioners took issue with that and drafted policy that limits media access. “We were getting interrupted and different things and there was editing being done on the YouTube and we wanted to get a true and accurate recording of what was going on," said Commissioner Lonnie Freyburger. The proposed policy: · Requires 24 hour written notice for any filming in meetings · Allows cameras to only be pointed to commissioners · Requires all media and cameras be in a designated area An earlier draft of the policy actually prohibited all visual media from entering the chamber. The County planned on installing a web camera and all media would have to take the images off of public website. Advocates for open government oppose the policy proposals. "To put them in a pen in the back of a room or put citizens in a pen in the back of the room is not an acceptable use of your power," said Ched MacQuigg who spoke out at a commission meeting on Wednesday. Read more

Torrance Co. works to limit media in government meetings