Idea Lab

Massachusetts to Allow Live Twittering, Blogging in Courts

by John Davidow
2010 Knight News Challenge Winner

A big step forward took place this week for Order in the Court 2.0. The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court announced a major proposal to change the state's "Cameras in the Courtroom statute", SJC Rule 1:19. Everything you'd want to know about the change is reflected in the name of the new rule. It's now called "Electronic Access to the Courts." The current "cameras in the courtroom" statute applied to what are now considered mainstream media. Media with prior notification to the court were allowed to record audio, video and still images from the courts. The statute allows for one still...

• December 10, 2010
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Order In The Court 2.0 Adds Staff, Plans Live-Streams from Court

by John Davidow
2010 Knight News Challenge Winner

In the last few weeks Order in the Court 2.0 has made enormous strides in moving forward with our project. Most importantly we've brought on board two very talented individuals who are responsible for the day-to-day operation of this project. Below is the note that I put out to the staff of WBUR, which is the home-base of this Knight News Challenge initiative. New Staff Joe Spurr and Val Wang are joining WBUR to work on our new online initiative, Order in the Court 2.0. Order in the Court 2.0 is a Knight News Challenge funded initiative that will explore...

• November 17, 2010
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How is Privacy Protected with Transparency Coming to Courts?

by John Davidow
2010 Knight News Challenge Winner

Going into last week's meeting at Quincy District Court, Joan Kenney, the state court's chief public information officer and I had a quick phone meeting on what we were going to talk about at an upcoming meeting with Judge Andre A. Gelinas. Judge Gelinas, a retired justice who sat on the Massachusetts Appeals Court, now serves as the Special Advisor to the Chief Justice for Administration & Management for Information Technology. In short, Judge Gelinas was going to be a legal referee for Order in the Court 2.0 who will help us determine what the project could or should be...

• September 28, 2010
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A Groundbreaking Survey of New Media and The Courts

by John Davidow
2010 Knight News Challenge Winner

Late last month the Conference of Court Public Information Officers released the results of a nearly year-long study entitled, New Media and the Courts - The Current Status and a Look at the Future. I have anxiously been awaiting this report. I believe it will play a major role as we outline the activity of Order in the Court 2.0. I first became aware of this study as I prepared my Knight News Challenge proposal. During the submission process, I consulted quite frequently with one of the co-authors of the CCPIO report, Chris Davey. Davey and I agreed that if...

• September 8, 2010
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The Challenges of Life and Transparency at Quincy District Court

by John Davidow
2010 Knight News Challenge Winner

Now that the celebrations and congratulations are in the past, the hard work of building Order in the Court 2.0 has begun. The idea that received the endorsement of the Knight News Challenge is now being tested in the real world with formal meetings with officials from the Massachusetts court system. I'm happy to report that we have so far received overwhelming support and encouragement for this project. Our first meeting took place at the Quincy District Court where we met with Judge Mark Coven, the first justice of the court, the clerk of the court, the state court's public...

• September 1, 2010
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Order in the Court 2.0: Making the Justice System More Public

by John Davidow
2010 Knight News Challenge Winner

The idea behind Order in the Court 2.0, one of this year's winners of a Knight News Challenge grant, is to restore and reinvigorate the public's access and understanding of our nation's courts. Up to now journalism has been the primary bridge connecting the public to the courts. But the media's ability to cover the courts is diminished due to shrinking resources. At the same time, many in the public are equipped with new media tools like smartphones, Wi-Fi and access to multiple social networks. Working with the judiciary and the public, Order in the Court 2.0 will establish best...

• August 13, 2010
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