Extended Media Coverage Program

Media coverage of court proceedings with audio and/or visual recording devices is known as Extended Media Coverage (EMC). EMC is permitted on a case-by-case basis.

On January 1, 2026, Illinois Supreme Court Extended Media Coverage policy took effect for the Circuit Courts of Illinois, extending the policy to courtrooms across the state.

The current Circuit Court of Cook County Extended Media Coverage process is:

News Media Requests EMC. A media requestor must file a request with the clerk no less than 7 days in advance of the time of the proceeding. The request must be simultaneously sent to the Office of the Chief Judge Court media liaison (“OCJ”), counsel and parties appearing without counsel. OCJ will forward the request to the judge presiding over the proceeding.
OCJ can review media credentials. If requested by the judge, OCJ will review the media credentials and make a recommendation if the requestor fits the definition of news media. The definition of news media is defined in the full Illinois Supreme Court Policy.
Parties have opportunity to object. The parties involved in the case have an opportunity to object to the EMC request. Objections will be provided back to the requestor, OCJ, counsel, and parties appearing without counsel.
Judge presiding over the case grants/denies EMC. The judge presiding over the proceeding will decide if the EMC is granted. The judge may issue an order based on the papers alone, may request additional information, or may even request oral arguments. The judge maintains broad discretion in deciding EMC related matters but must provide a reason in any order denying EMC or limiting EMC. Absent good cause shown, cases where EMC is prohibited include the following case types: juvenile, probate, guardianship, dissolution of marriage, family law, parentage, adoption, mental health, evidence suppression, orders of protection and trade secrets.
Pool requests. The media requestor will serve as coordinator to provide pooled coverage for other news media.

The Supreme Court provided template forms that can be used for all requests, objections, and orders. The Circuit Court of Cook County’s EMC process will be available on the public EMC request page and will be updated as appropriate

The prohibition on the use of cameras and audio recording devices by the public in Illinois courtrooms otherwise remains in effect. See the Cellphone and Electronic Device Ban for more information.

How Media Organizations Can Submit a Request for EMC

A media requestor must file with a request with the clerk no less than 7 days in advance of the time of the proceeding. The request must be simultaneously sent to the Office of the Chief Judge Court media liaison (“OCJ”), counsel, and parties appearing without counsel. OCJ will forward the request to the judge presiding over the proceeding. Emailed requests should be sent to emc@cookcountycourt.com and Extended.MediaCoverage@cookcountyil.gov.

General Information for Participants

For orders entered by a judge who granted an EMC for a proceeding and which may include additional restrictions and requirements, look up case information on the Clerk's website.

Media Requests

If the presiding judge in the case approves Extended Media Coverage, the media requestor must:

Determine whether any other media organizations are interested in participating in Extended Media Coverage of the court proceeding.
Establish a news media pool to cover the proceedings.
Arrange for distribution of all video, photographs, and audio recordings obtained during the proceeding to the news media.
Be responsible for communicating with the court media liaison team EMC of the proceeding, if the request is granted.

The court’s media liaison team will facilitate the following:

The Clerk of the Circuit Court will docket the request and forward a copy to the court’s media liaison team. The media team will ensure that the judge presiding over the case and the Presiding Judge of the district or division is notified of the request.

The judge assigned to the case will rule on the request

Denial of an EMC request is final and not subject to appeal.

Objections

The Supreme Court's Policy and the Circuit Court's general administrative order give parties and witnesses the right to object to extended media coverage.

All objections must be filed with the Clerk of the Circuit Court.
Objections by parties and witnesses must be filed with the Clerk at least three (3) days before the commencement of the proceeding.
Parties appearing without counsel and witnesses shall be entitled to the assistance of the Circuit Court Clerk in providing copies of their objections to extended media coverage to all counsel currently of record, parties appearing without counsel, the media coordinator, the judge and the court media liaison.

The above is general information only and is not comprehensive. Parties and witnesses who wish to object to extended media coverage are directed to read the recently updated Policy for Extended Media Coverage in the Circuit Courts of Illinois (Effective: Jan. 1, 2026)

Rules

The Policy for Extended Media Coverage in the Circuit Courts of Illinois (Effective: Jan. 1, 2026)

For orders entered by a judge who granted an EMC for a proceeding and which may include additional restrictions and requirements, look up case information on the Clerk's website.

Court Forms

More information on cameras in the courtroom is available through the Illinois Supreme Court's website.