Exceptional Court Coverage
Fair Courts E-lert
Bibliographic Info:
Source: New York Times
Date: November 17, 2011
In a letter to U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts requesting oral arguments in the Court’s upcoming hearing on the constitutionality of President Obama’s healthcare law be televised, CSPAN’s chief executive described the case as one that “will affect every American’s life, our economy and will certainly be an issue in the upcoming presidential campaign.” A number of political leaders and national media outlets have also joined in asking the court to broadcast the arguments. A New York Times editorial notes that the time allotment for the case—5 ½ hours—vastly exceeds the usual one hour spent on arguments for other cases, making video integral to the public’s ability to follow the proceedings. And former U.S. Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania suggested in a Philadelphia Inquirer op-ed that “TV could boost Supreme Court’s ratings.”
See also: Arlen Specter, TV Could Boost Supreme Court's Ratings, Philadelphia Inquirer, November 15, 2011; Tony Mauro, Let the Cameras Roll, The National Law Journal, November 14, 2011; Lawmakers, Broadcaster Request Camera in Courtroom for Health Care Hearing, Fox News, November 16, 2011; David G. Savage, C-SPAN Seeks to Air Supreme Court Healthcare Arguments, Los Angeles Times, November 15, 2011.