The Indiana Publisher

Publisher The Indiana Volume 88, Issue 2 • February 2023 Published monthly Judges might allow press to have cameras in trial courts Chris Hardie Western Wayne News (Cambridge City) It's been about four months since I became owner and publisher of my community's local print newspaper. In the spirit of transparency and working out in the open, we recently shared our first report to the commu- nity about our operations, health and future plans. I also geeked out a bit with a blog post on some of the tools and technology we're using to run the paper. I'd like to say a little more about what it's been like for me personally. To sum it up: I'm loving it! As I said when announcing this adventure, "this is a thrilling opportunity to continue exploring my interest in the questions of where and how people get their information, and what informs the decisions they make about their lives, values and communities." It has been exactly that. From the people involved to the details of getting the paper out the door each week to the writing, editing and publisher decision-making processes to the bigger questions of our role in the community and how best to meet people's information needs, it's all been Public notice. Public notice. Public notice. Sometimes it seems like that's all we can talk about at the Hoosier State Press Association. It's a hard topic to avoid when year-in and year-out there is legislation aimed at removing it from newspapers. It's a hard topic to avoid because of how critical it is to due process and democratic government. It's a hard topic to avoid when your industry has committed to providing it as a service to local government since the founding of our state. So, we're not avoiding it this year, nor will we next. That's because what began as a bill to remove local government public notices out of newspapers, (H.B. 1438) was successfully amended in committee to create a taskforce to study public notice this summer. And credit where credit is due, Chairman Doug Miller (R-Elkhart) wrote the amendment to strip and insert his own bill after a discussion with HSPA because he believed the topic could use more careful consideration. This bill could be our path forward on public notice. But only if we as an industry step up and show that newspapers provide a unique public service that can only be perfected by the Fourth Estate. That this is not a mere a subsidy Taskforce could be path forward for public nortices Capitol Dispatch Amelia McClure Beginning on May 1, 2023, judicial officers around the state will have the authority to allow news media into their courtrooms to record, photograph, and broadcast court proceedings that are not confidential. Rule 2.17 of the Code of Judicial Conduct has long prohibited broadcasting, recording, or taking photo- graphs of court proceedings and areas adjacent to courtrooms without prior approval by the Indiana Supreme Court. An order amending Rule 2.17, effective May 1, 2023, gives the discretion to allow cameras to the local judges. "This is the culmination of years of work and pilot projects with discussion and evaluation," said Chief Justice Loretta H. Rush. "Trial court judges are in the best position to determine how to balance the importance of transparency while protecting the rights of people involved in a court matter." On the first 4 months of owning a newspaper See Session, page 2 See Cameras, page 2 See Report, page 7 Publisher shares report with readers on paper's operations, health and future plans Legislative Update Hardie

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