Journalists: recording consent for US interviews and checking quotes

Know when you need consent

Federal law requires the consent of at least one party to record an in-person, phone or electronic conversation. If you are in the conversation, your own consent meets that federal minimum.

States can be stricter. The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press counts about 11 states that primarily require all-party consent.

Situation	What the Reporters Committee says
Call across state lines	Assume the stricter state's law applies
Face-to-face interview, recorder in plain view	Record the subject's verbal consent as a best practice
In-person conversation	Consent rules generally apply where people have a reasonable expectation of privacy, though not every state makes this distinction
Interview in someone's home	Expect the greatest expectation of privacy

States with all-party consent rules

The Reporters Committee lists these states as primarily requiring all-party consent. In Michigan, the rule applies at least to recordings made by a third party who isn't in the conversation.

California, Delaware, Florida and Illinois
Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan and Montana
New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and Washington

States with partial all-party rules

Some states require all-party consent for only in-person talks or only phone calls. A one-party rule for one kind doesn't cover the other.

Laws change, so check the state guide before each interview.

In-person conversations: Missouri and Oregon
Phone calls: Connecticut and Nevada
Particularly private places: Hawaii and Maine

Put consent on the recording

Start every recording with the same short script. Then the consent is part of the record, not a memory.

For example: "It's Tuesday, March 3. I'm recording this interview for a story on the transit budget. Is that OK with you?" Wait for a clear yes.

If a phone interview may be broadcast, say so at the start of the call. The FCC's rule for broadcasters requires telling the other party the call will, or may, be broadcast.

Capture the interview where it happens

Where	How to capture it in Bridge
In person	Record from the web app, mobile web or the Mac desktop app. Place the device where it hears both of you.
Zoom, Google Meet or Teams	Record bot-free with the Mac desktop app, or send Bridge Agent, which the host admits
Your own video call	Host the interview on Bridge and get the recording and transcript afterwards
An existing recording	Upload the audio or video file (paid plans)

Check every quote against the audio

A transcript is a draft. Names, numbers and technical terms are where errors hide.

In Bridge, search the transcript for the quote. When the meeting has a recording, jump to that moment and listen before the quote goes in the story.

Correct speaker names. In-person recordings label voices Person 1, Person 2 and so on, and you can rename them.
Check numbers, names and spellings against the audio.
Read the sentences around a quote, so you don't strip out a qualifier.
Export the transcript as PDF, Word or Markdown for your editor or your notes file.

Keep interviews private

Interview recordings can identify sources. With recap auto-sharing off, a meeting's notes stay private to its owner until you share them.

Adding a meeting to a Space gives everyone in that Space access. Keep interviews out of shared Spaces, and share a single interview by email invite when an editor needs it.

When to get legal help

This page is general information, not legal advice. For a specific situation, the Reporters Committee runs a legal hotline for journalists.

Sources & further reading

Keep readingRecord an in-person meeting people can trust afterwards →