National Press Club Announces Support to Open Supreme Court Proceedings

National Press Club Announces Support to Open Supreme Court Proceedings

WASHINGTON, Feb. 16 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Press Club Friday announced its support for efforts, long-backed by numerous journalism and open-government groups, to open the proceedings of the U.S. Supreme Court to cameras and microphones.

"The Supreme Court is the most influential judicial voice in the United States," said National Press Club President Jerry Zremski. "Its rulings affect not only the free press, but also the lives of everyone who lives under the rule of American law. As such, there is an overwhelming public interest in allowing the American people to see the Court's proceedings firsthand."

The Club's statement on the Supreme Court issue, suggested by its Freedom of the Press Committee and backed by its Board of Governors, follows Sen. Arlen Specter's reintroduction of legislation that would force the court to open its doors to cameras.

"It is, I think, fundamental that the court's work, the court's operation, ought to be more broadly understood," Specter, R-Pa., said in a speech on the Senate floor. "That can be achieved by television."

Specter, former chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, recently told The Washington Post that Supreme Court justices are appearing on television more frequently, thereby undercutting their argument that their oral arguments should not be televised.

Zremski added: "Justice Louis Brandeis was among the first to remind us of the importance of sunshine in government. We believe now is the time for the Court to heed his words -- and apply the longstanding precept of open government to its own chamber."

The National Press Club is the world's largest and most prestigious press club. Some 3,700 journalists and media professionals in Washington, D.C., and around the world belong to the Club. The Club's constitution makes the promotion of free expression one of its top priorities.

Source: National Press Club

CONTACT: Jerry Zremski of National Press Club, +1-202-246-2396

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