Journalists will sometimes be told, confidently and incorrectly, that they’re breaking the law. That happened this week when Rep. Andy Harris threatened to refer Cat Murphy, a student reporter with the University of Maryland’s @CNSmd, for prosecution for recording his press briefing. Maryland’s all-party consent law doesn’t apply to public press events, and Murphy kept doing her job. To help other student journalists prepare for these situations, we explain what state recording laws actually say, explore where the First Amendment comes in, and offer practical tips for handling them. splc.org/2026/10/heres-what-…