We have been frequent and longstanding supporters of cameras in all courts. We live in a visual world, where everything from congressional hearings to school board meetings to New Jersey Supreme Court arguments is available for viewing or streaming. Far more people get their news from television and digital platforms than traditional newspapers. In our view, a public trial in 2023 is not truly public without video. A free press is not truly free without visual media access to the important work of state and federal courts.

The arguments for cameras in all courtrooms are even more urgent today. With more and more people getting their news from social media and other non-traditional sources, it is vitally important that the impact of misinformation and disinformation be countered by showing what actually happened. With confidence in all of our institutions wavering in some quarters, giving the public an eye on our judicial proceedings will help restore faith. And with the upcoming state and federal trials of former President Donald Trump, citizens across the political spectrum should have the opportunity to see the proceedings for themselves and not through the filter of a sketch artist and reporters. Our judicial system has nothing to hide and can only benefit from showing its proceedings to the world.