As reported by the Newspaper Society: Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles has this week signed a Parliamentary orderallowing press and public to film and digitally report from all public meetings of local government bodies.
The Openness of Local Government Regulations 2014 gives rights to members of the press and public to:
* use modern technology and communication methods such as filming, audio-recording, blogging and tweeting to report the proceedings of the meetings of their councils and other local government bodies
* see information relating to significant decisions made outside meetings by officers acting under a general or specific delegated power
Local Government Secretary, Eric Pickles, said: “Half a century ago, Margaret Thatcher championed a new law to allow the press to make written reports of council meetings. We have updated her analogue law for a digital age.
“Local democracy needs local journalists and bloggers to report and scrutinise the work of their council, and increasingly, people read their news via digital media. The new ‘right to report’ goes hand in hand with our work to stop unfair state competition from municipal newspapers - together defending the independent free press.
“There is now no excuse for any council not to allow these new rights. Parliament has changed the law, to allow a robust and healthy local democracy. This will change the way people see local government, and allow them to view close up the good work that councillors do.”
A report in The Times quoted NS communications and marketing director Lynne Anderson as saying: “We’ve been seeing a worrying trend of increased secrecy among public bodies, making it harder for local newspapers to perform their vital scrutinising role on behalf of their readers. We hope these new rules will help to open up councils and ensure greater transparency over how taxpayers’ money is spent.”
