Jamie Dupree's Washington Insider: Media requests Supreme Court coverage

A coalition of news companies and media organizations has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to allow for live video and audio coverage inside the court when the historic decision is announced in coming weeks on the Obama health law.

In a letter to Chief Justice John Roberts, the group acknowledges the opposition to live coverage of arguments before the Supreme Court, but notes this request is simply for coverage of the announcement of the decision.

In a high profile case like this, multiple Justices could well read parts of their decision and/or dissents from the bench, as they make the case for and against the final ruling.

"I urge the Court to provide live audio and video coverage of its announcement in the same manner it provides delayed audio recordings of oral arguments," wrote Lucy Dalglish, head of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press.

"At the very least, I ask for release of such a recording immediately after the announcement," she added.

Here is the text of the news media letter to the Supreme Court:

The Honorable John G. Roberts
Supreme Court of the United States
1 First Street NE
Washington, D.C. 20543

Re: Request for Access to Audio Recording of the Announcement of the Court?s opinion in Nat?l Fed?n of Indep. Bus. v. Sebelius, No. 11-393, Florida v. Dep?t of Health & Human Servs., No. 11-400, and Dep?t of Health & Human Servs. v. Florida, No. 11-398

Dear Chief Justice Roberts,

On behalf of the media coalition comprised of the below-listed national and local news organizations, nonprofit associations representing newsgatherers, and trade groups, I write to respectfully request live audio access to the announcement of the Court?s opinion in the three cases addressing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

As I outlined in my Nov. 18, 2011, request for live audio and video access of oral arguments in the case, the health care reform law deeply affects millions of Americans. There is a strong interest nationwide in the Court?s opinion and any comments by a member of the Court that may accompany its announcement. Such access would allow the public to be informed of the Court?s ruling in a timely manner.

I am aware that various members of the Court have expressed concern that live television coverage of its proceedings may negatively affect the character and flow of the back-and-forth discussion between attorneys and justices. But this interest is clearly not implicated when the proceeding at issue involves the summary of an opinion rather than the interaction at oral argument.

I respectfully request that the Court allow the American public the opportunity to learn contemporaneously or near-contemporaneously how it resolved one of the most significant issues to come before it in many years. I urge the Court to provide live audio and video coverage of its announcement in the same manner it provides delayed audio recordings of oral arguments. At the very least, I ask for release of such a recording immediately after the announcement.

Sincerely,

The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press
Lucy A. Dalglish, Executive Director
Gregg P. Leslie, Legal Defense Director
Kristen Rasmussen, McCormick Legal Fellow

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