IT IS ILLEGAL TO RECORD A PUBLIC MEETING SECRETLY IN PENNSYLVANIA.

PENNSYLVANIA RECORDING LAW:

 

Public Meetings: Recording devices are allowed in public meetings (i.e. meetings of a government body required to be open to the public by law) in Pennsylvania. Governmental bodies may adopt their own rules to maintain order in their public meetings, but those rules may not include flat prohibitions on recording.
Pennsylvania Wiretapping Law: This law is a "two-party consent "law. All parties must consent to the taping or it is considered a crime. You should always get consent before recording any conversation. Violating the Pennsylvania wiretapping law can lead to a civil lawsuit for damages by an injured party.
Consent and its limits:
You may record, film broadcast or amplify any conversation where all the parties consent to it.
It is always legal to tape or film a face-to-face interview when your recorder is in plain view. The consent of all parties is presumed in these instances. However, the use of hidden cameras is covered only by the wiretap and eaves-dropping laws if the camera also records an audio track. Pennsylvania requires, under most circumstances, the consent of all parties to a conversation. If there are more than two people involved in the conversation, all must consent to the taping. Regardless of the state, it is almost always illegal to record a conversation to which you are not a party, do not have consent to tape, and could not naturally overhear.

 

A Practical Guide to Taping Conversations in Pennsylvania:

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1. Consent of all parties is required.

2. There are criminal penalties.

3. The statute allows for civil suits.

4. There is a specific hidden camera law.

5. There are additional penalties for disclosing or publishing information.

6. Notify the governmental body holding the meeting well ahead of time that you plan to record.

7. Make it clear to those around you that you are recording. Don't hide your camera or tape recorder.This affords people an opportunity to object and undercuts any argument that you are acting secretly. It is illegal to record secretly even in a public meeting.