First Amendment Auditors
In today's age of social media and smartphone cameras, individuals record encounters with law enforcement officers and other local government employees. The videographers often state that they are conducting a 'first amendment audit'. If employees aren't prepared and don't know how to respond appropriately, an encounter can result in a viral video posted to social media and a lawsuit.
First Amendment Auditors will prepare city employees to communicate, de-escalate, and properly interact with activists wishing to incite an inappropriate and potentially embarrassing response to their presence and video recording of public entity personnel and assets.
Participants will view examples of proper and improper responses to persons recording public entities. Policy and procedure examples will be reviewed and there will be an in-depth discussion of how society has arrived at this point, where everyone with an agenda and a camera can call themselves a journalist.
Objectives: First Amendment Auditors is designed to enhance employees' communication, de-escalation, and decision-making abilities regarding citizens who record videos of public employees performing their work in public spaces.
- Understand the rights guaranteed by the First Amendment
- Identify types of individuals who consider themselves First Amendment auditors
- Recognize proper and improper responses to First Amendment auditors
- Discuss recent events that have propelled First Amendment auditors to high levels of public exposure
Who Should Attend? City leaders and employees who are in positions that require interaction with the public.
TCOLE credit is available.
By providing fresh perspectives and interactive learning opportunities, TMLIRP training can benefit employees of cities and other entities throughout Texas.
Instructor
