Media Attendance Protocols
Media Attendance Protocols for Board of Trustees Meetings and Public Hearings
The City University of New York has a longstanding history of openness, transparency and innovation with regard to making its public meetings available to the widest possible audiences. Nearly two decades ago, CUNY pioneered cablecasting its public meetings on CUNY TV. Later, CUNY added real time webstreaming and podcasting, distributed via e-mail blasts, website posts and social media networks.
As in the past, representatives of the media, including the working press and student media, are welcome to attend meetings and public hearings of the CUNY Board of Trustees, consistent with the New York State Open Meetings Law.
The university will continue to designate reserved seating for the working press and the student media in the first row of the public seating area.
When attendance by members of the public at Board of Trustees hearings and meetings exceeds the capacity of the meeting room, the University will activate a new policy to facilitate access for members of the working press. The University will create a special dedicated press section within the Board meeting room for print, video, and photographer members of the working press.
The University will endeavor to provide a clear line of sight to all Trustees as well as a full view of the speaker’s podium and the visitor gallery.
At this designated location, the university will endeavor to provide working members of the press with hookups and audio and video mult box connections to ensure professional quality audio of the proceedings.
The working press will be able to move within the public areas of the Board room, including the public gallery, in a manner that does not obstruct the view of others or obstruct the proceedings in the room.
A designated space outside the Board room will be provided for members of the working press to conduct interviews with attendees, speakers and other participants.
Members of the public using hand held video and audio recording devices are expected to abide by the same rules.
Members of the working press who can display bona fide credentials to CUNY officials issued by their publications or a New York City police working press card will be allowed admission to the press section. Student journalists who can produce a current CUNY college ID will be afforded priority admission in the same manner.
On a space available basis access to the working press area will be provided for other members of the working press such as bloggers/ free lancers/stringers/amateur videographers/tipsters.
The reason for this policy is to ensure that the widest possible audience can be provided access to Board meetings.