Supreme Court Live Stream Request – NPR
- the Supreme Court press corps has publicly released a letter initially sent to Chief Justice John Roberts a year ago, advocating for live audio streams of...
- Currently, only those physically present in the courtroom—lawyers, the public, and the press—hear the justices' summaries of notable decisions.
- The press corps highlights that while the court began live-streaming oral arguments in 2020 due to the pandemic, this practice has not been extended to opinion announcements.
Supreme Court Press Seeks Live Audio of Opinion Announcements
Updated June 11, 2025
Drew Angerer/Getty Images
the Supreme Court press corps has publicly released a letter initially sent to Chief Justice John Roberts a year
ago, advocating for live audio streams of the court’s opinions and oral dissents. The request, made by
representatives from major news outlets, has yet to receive a response.
Currently, only those physically present in the courtroom—lawyers, the public, and the press—hear the justices’
summaries of notable decisions. Audio recordings are not available to the public until the following term,
accessible via the National Archives or The Oyez Website.
The press corps highlights that while the court began live-streaming oral arguments in 2020 due to the pandemic,
this practice has not been extended to opinion announcements. Live audio of Supreme Court proceedings enhances
accessibility.
The letter emphasizes that most people will not read the full opinions. Providing live audio of opinion
announcements would allow the Court to speak directly to the american people on issues of remarkable
importance, especially in an era of misinformation.
The press corps argues that live-streaming opinion announcements, similar to the live-streaming of oral
arguments, would broaden public understanding and thankfulness of the court’s decisions, fostering greater
transparency and combating misinformation.
What’s next
It remains to be seen whether Chief Justice Roberts and the Supreme Court will respond to the press corps’ renewed
request and implement live audio streaming for future opinion announcements.