The Reporter’s Committee for Freedom of the Press Executive Director Lucy Dalglish said last week that Illinois’ eavesdropping law is “unique in the nation” and that banning the recording of something that happened in public is “nonsense”.
“In this particular case you folks don’t have a problem with the police, you have a problem with the law. And the answer to that is political and you need to make a compelling case to your political leadership and get the law changed”, Dalglish told the audience at the event “Shattered Lens: A Citizen’s Right to Film”, held January 25th at Loyola University, downtown Chicago.
Illinois’ eavesdropping law makes it illegal to audio-record police without their consent, even when they’re working in public. The law requires “two-party consent” and has come under increasing scrutiny in courts throughout the state.
Dalglish was joined by Harry Grossman, Legal Director at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Illinois, and Chicago Police Superintendent Garry F. McCarthy. Don Wycliff, professor at the Loyola School of Communication moderated the event sponsored by the Chicago Headline Club and The McCormick Foundation.
“Now where I think you actually have bigger problems is in this areas of protest activity targeting journalist and others for trying to cover this stories. This is far more troubling. This is just a situation where journalists have to be educated and citizens have to be educated about what their rights are, which are substantial and the police needs to be educated about what they can do and what they can’t do at this protests and demonstrations”, said Dalglish.
Chicago Police Superintendent Garry F. McCarthy speaks at the event “Shattered Lens: A Citizen’s Right to Film”, held January 25th at Loyola University, and sponsored by the Chicago Headline Club and The McCormick Foundation.
