Sunshine Week -- Journalists campaign for freedom of Information

http://www.sunshineweek.org



'SUNSHINE SUNDAY' KICKS OFF WEEKLONG, MULTI-MEDIA EFFORT
TO MAINTAIN PUBLIC ACCESS TO GOVERNMENT INFORMATION

News media joined by librarians, educators in a nationwide initiative
focusing on the importance of the public's right to know.

Washington, D.C.—Opening a dialogue about the public's right of access to government information is the focus of Sunshine Sunday and Sunshine Week: Your Right to Know, which kick off March 13, 2005 and continue through the following week.

Participating daily and weekly newspapers, magazines, online sites, and radio and television broadcasters will feature editorials, op-eds, editorial cartoons, and news and feature stories that drive public discussion about why open government is important to everyone, not just to journalists.

"A better climate for keeping government as open as possible has to begin with improving public understanding and support for freedom of information," said Associated Press President and CEO Tom Curley, a member of the Sunshine Week Steering Committee. "This project marks a great new start in promoting public awareness of these issues."

The current initiative, spearheaded by the American Society of Newspaper Editors with a grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation in Miami, expands the Sunshine Sunday efforts nationally and across media. The Radio Television News Directors Association also has received a Knight grant to help broadcasters to participate.

Other journalism groups and media companies also support the project, and several state press associations are coordinating existing Sunshine Sunday programs with the national effort. The 54-member Steering Committee includes leaders from media companies, newspapers, magazines, academia and major journalism organizations.

"This is not just an issue for the press. It's an issue for the public," said Andy Alexander, ASNE Freedom of Information chair, who is chief of the Cox Newspapers' Washington bureau. "An alarming amount of public information is being kept secret from citizens and the problem is increasing by the month. Not only do citizens have a right to know, they have a need to know.

"Our goal is to raise public awareness of this horrible trend that is hurting democracy," he said of the Sunshine Week project. "We hope that it sparks a public dialogue about the value of open government and the damage to citizens from excessive government secrecy."

In addition to media efforts, a partnership with the American Library Association will provide the opportunity for education and community discussion of Freedom of Information issues on the local level. Sunshine Week also ties in with the Freedom Forum First Amendment Center’s 2005 FOI Day on March 16, 2005 in Arlington, Va.

The Sunshine Week Web site (www.sunshineweek.org), to be launched in early 2005, will be the clearing house for most of the materials, which are expected to include:
A variety of op-eds and articles for use by print and online media
Video news packages for television broadcasters
Stories of citizens using FOI laws to get information to help their communities
Information for libraries setting up community FOI programs
Links to online FOI information and resources.


Sunshine Sunday began in Florida in 2002. Led by the Florida Society of Newspaper Editors, the event generated editorials, op-eds, editorial cartoons and news stories about the importance of open government. FSNE estimates that some 300 exemptions to open government laws were defeated in the legislative sessions that followed the three Sunshine Sundays, many because of the increased public awareness that resulted. Since then, several other states have launched similar initiatives.

:shrug:

Well, there still are journalists toiling in the fields trying to do their jobs.

The problem is that the Corporate Massahs are replacing them with cute and perky dolls.

But there still are vestiges of real journalism out there.

As important a tool as the Internet is at getting to the truth, it too much relies on scribes from the fishwrappers to validate it's "investigative" reporting. While there is some independent reporting going on, too often for it to hit the radar screen it first must be mentioned by those with access. Which brings up another point: If the MSM is completely whored out, how do so many stories hit the radar screen? I guess that it goes to your point that there are still a couple of vestiges left out there. My fear is that there will be a concerted effort to snuff out the last few candles that illuminate the political landscape, thereby rendering the blogosmedia impotent.

Have a happy day! :)

You're right about the blog media and mainstream media.

Independent voices atre important, but they don't replace the role of professional journalism. There do need to be common points of reference, and those need to be big and powerful, with the resources to engage in the fact checking, etc.

Personally, I don't that the MSM is selective, and all of the crackpot theories of bloggers (and DUers) don't get into the common consciousness.

The problem is that too many media organizations have gotten too lazy and selective and skewed, so that only the crap rises to the surface.

But this Sunshine Week is at least a step in the right direction. It's good to have journalists campaigning to keep the soureces of official information open.

another group or class of documents being sealed?

These people get kicks from laughing at us.

THE REPORTERS COMMITTEE FOR FREEDOM OF THE PRESS

Submitting a FOI request to a federal agency is not difficult, but a complete, well-written request may help you avoid delays and further correspondence with a government agency.

This letter generator is designed to help you create a simple FOI letter. It asks you for all pertinent information, guides you through the options available, and even lists a number of federal agencies and their addresses.

Fill in the relevant information in the fields below. When you click on the button at the bottom, you will be given a chance to verify the information, then you will see a draft of your letter for copying or downloading. This site will not send the letter to the agency for you; you should send it yourself, even if an email option is available, so that the agency receives it directly from you.

More:
http://www.rcfp.org/foi_letter/generate.php

for access to police reports and city financial records

http://tinyurl.com/6kj77

<snip>But it is amazing," the newspaper said, "how many officials, once in office, seem to take an attitude that they 'own' the office and 'the people' are 'outsiders' who may enter the office only at the sufferance of the officeholders."

The Knoxville News Sentinel noted that a recent report by open government coalition said 40 percent of Tennessee's school districts refused public access to school safety reports while 45 percent of sheriff's departments withheld basic crime information.

Mostly because of weak enforcement of state law, Tennessee is particularly tough on citizens wanting to know what their local governments are doing, Gibson said.

"In a national survey, Tennessee had the sixth-worst government access laws in the country," he said. "Citizens who have problems getting access to meetings or records have only one recourse, and that is to go to court. They have to spend their own money to enforce the law."<snip>

http://tinyurl.com/6kj77