The amateur cameramen testing the limit of free speech in SC | News – The Post and Courier

One employee walking by sternly asked Greene not to film her. I didnt give nobody permission, she said. A public affairs officer with the hospital stopped them to ask questions about why they were filming, eventually prodding them about what news agency they work for after Dorrell claimed they were gathering footage for broadcast.

Free press, Dorrell responded.

After about 15 minutes, a police officer arrived, saying he had received a call expressing concern about them filming in the hallways. After a short conversation, he told the men they could continue to film as long as they didnt film patients or sensitive areas before walking off, leaving them to their own devices.

Thats exactly what we want, Dorrell said. What would be even better is if we had no contact whatsoever.

After about an hour inside the hospital, and nearly one-dozen interactions with staff and patients alike, the audit ended. And Dorrell, hanging up his camera, was satisfied with what he found.

Big pass, he said. They did great.

There are about a half-dozen auditors with sizable audiences and regular auditing regimens scattered across South Carolina, though the advent of the smartphone age makes the true number impossible to monitor.

And in the years since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the ranks of their movement have been growing steadily, with First Amendment tests becoming a regular feature of municipal life in towns big and small.

Starting in 2020, we've had an increase in First Amendment audit activity in South Carolina, Eric Shytle, general counsel for the Municipal Association of South Carolina, said in an interview. Many South Carolina jurisdictions have had First Amendment auditors come. And many of them are local.

Many of the appearances are benign, with some lasting only minutes. Some auditors dont speak to anyone unless spoken to. Others, when questioned, cite state or federal statutes allowing them to film, and proceed with their activities unmolested until they eventually decide to leave.

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The amateur cameramen testing the limit of free speech in SC | News - The Post and Courier