IACHR

Relevant Information on Hearings

Journalists, camarographers and photographers planning to cover hearings are advised to read these guidelines. Please ask any questions to the IACHR Press and Outreach Director, Maria Isabel Rivero.

• Audio: The audio recordings of all public hearings will be uploaded to the IACHR webpage, on the same day that the hearing takes place. Radio stations are authorized to broadcast them, provided that credits are recognized to the OAS. (Click here to access the page where all audio recordings of IACHR public hearings are posted).
• Webcast: Some or all hearings are Webcast live through the OAS webpage. (Click here to access the Webcast page). The hearings with Webcast service are properly identified in the schedules of hearings published on the IACHR Webpage. Communication media and organizations that would like to broadcast the hearings are authorized to do so, provided that credits are properly recognized. The Webcast is done through three channels, Spanish, English and floor, except when simultaneous interpretation is not available. For technical information related to this service, please contact Ernesto Cossich .
• Videos: The videos of the hearings that had Webcast will be made available through the OAS Webpage and through the Commission’s Webpage. (Click here to access the IACHR page with videos on hearings).
• Links: The inclusion of links in external websites to the Webcast and/or the videos of the hearings is authorized, and this document constitute legal authorization for such purposes. To obtain the code in order to integrate the Webcast to your Webpage, please contact Ernesto Cossich.
• Languages: Please note that participants in the hearings may speak in any of the four official languages of the OAS: Spanish, French, English and Portuguese. All audio recordings and videos to be watched later register the original voices and may include different languages in the same hearing. However, the Webcast service is often made in several channels, as explained above.
• Photographs: When pictures are taken of the public hearings, they are published on the OAS page in Flickr, and the media is authorized to publish them, with credit to the OAS.
• Private hearings: Please note that the petitioners and the State have the right to ask that the hearing is made private, and they can request this at any time, including minutes before the hearing’s start. 
• Media: Media representatives do not need to present any specific credentials to cover the public hearings. Journalists may be present in all public hearings. The use of audio recorders and portable computers is allowed, with the condition that they do not interfere with the normal development of the hearing. Cellular phones must be turned off before entering the room.
• Cameras: Cameramen/women must bring all necessary equipment, including XLR cables several feet long to connect to the audio console. Wireless microphones are recommended. 
• Feeds: The audio connections are XLR. Media representatives who would like to tape the hearings through this system should bring their own cables and arrive at least 15 minutes before the start time of the hearing, so all the equipment is setup at the starting time.
• Copies of videos: Interested persons may require DVD copies of the public hearings videos. This service is free for TV channels. The copies are delivered in DVD. Usually, they can be picked up at the OAS headquarters on the same day that the hearing took place, depending on demand. Copies may also be sent by mail to media outlets headquartered outside Washington, DC. To coordinate this service please contact Mario Martinez y Palacios or Luis Batlle.