Filming and Recording: What Journalists May Film
What the law says about filming, photographing and recording in public and around officials, and where the answer changes by court or state. Each guide cites the opinions and legal guides it relies on.
- Can You Film at an Airport or Federal Building? The Rules
Plain rules for filming at TSA checkpoints, airport terminals, federal buildings, and transit systems, and where public areas end and controlled areas begin.
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- Can You Film Inside a Government Building? What Courts Say
Can you film inside a government building or school? See how courts treat lobbies, police stations, federal buildings, and school campuses.
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- Can You Film on Private Property as a Journalist?
A plain guide for independent journalists on filming in stores and on private property: trespass, permission, being asked to leave, and limits.
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- Drone Journalism FAA Part 107 Rules for Reporters
A plain guide to FAA Part 107 rules for reporters who fly drones: certificate, altitude, sight, people, airspace, TFRs, Remote ID and Texas state law.
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- Is It Legal to Film Police? What Federal Courts Have Said
Federal appeals courts have recognized a First Amendment right to film police in public. See what the cases say, where the limits are, and what to do.
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- Journalist Filming Children: Privacy and Ethics Rules
What independent journalists should know before filming children, victims and sensitive scenes: privacy law basics, consent, hospitals and ethics codes.
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- Journalist Filming Protest: Police Line, Dispersal Rights
What journalists can and cannot do when filming a protest near a police line or dispersal order, with steps to follow and where to get legal help.
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- One-Party Consent States: Recording Calls as a Journalist
Federal law needs one party's consent to record a call. Some states need everyone's. Learn the rules, the risks, and how to record sources safely.
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- Photojournalist Copyright and Model Release for News
Who owns a news photo, when you need a model release, and how newsworthiness fits in. A plain guide to copyright and privacy for photojournalists.
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- Police Seize Camera? The Privacy Protection Act Explained
What the Privacy Protection Act says when police seize a journalist's camera or phone, plus what to do in the moment and after, in plain English.
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All guides for independent journalists
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The National Press Association credential is a private association credential. It is not government-issued, it does not give you legal rights, and it does not guarantee access to any event, venue, or agency. It can serve as identity verification and supporting documentation alongside your published work. It is free to apply.