Sunshine Week coming in March

• By: ASNE staff
• On: 02/18/2014 11:10:57
• In: Sunshine Week

There are endless ways to participate in Sunshine Week. A community "town hall" meeting, hosted by OpenTheGovernment.org, took place Jan. 23 in Washington, D.C., to coordinate Washington-based activities for Sunshine Week 2014. Many organizations across the country are making plans to host events spotlighting open government, launch special news reports and campaigns and hold other awareness-building activities.

Among the events and activities already planned for Sunshine Week 2014 are: 

• The Newseum Institute's First Amendment Center, in partnership with OpenTheGovernment.org, and separately the Collaboration on Government Secrecy at American University's Washington College of Law, will each hold a celebration of Freedom of Information Day with a series of panel discussions and awards presentations.

• The Reporters Committee will host a panel discussion with prominent journalists and legal experts discussing transparency and the U.S. Supreme Court. Open government events are also planned during the week by the D.C. Open Government Coalition, FOI Oklahoma and the Northern California Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.

• New Mexico State University is holding an infographic contest for students, utilizing the state's Open Meetings Act or Inspection of Public Records Act as the work's focus. The winners will be announced at a public ceremony during Sunshine Week. The contest is sponsored by NMSU alumnus Tim Parker, the NMSU Library and the NMSU Department of Journalism & Mass Communications

• In Florida, Lee County Clerk Linda Doggett will hold a free public training seminar on how to find public information posted on the clerk's office website. Training brochures and reference materials will be provided to attendees.

The American Society of News Editors launched Sunshine Week in 2005 as a national initiative to promote a dialogue about the importance of open government and freedom of information. Participants have included print, broadcast and digital media outlets; government officials at all levels; schools and universities; nonprofit and civic organizations; libraries and archivists; and individuals interested in the public's right to know.

In 2012, ASNE partnered with its co-sponsor, Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, and has renewed the partnership to oversee the national coordination of resources and provide support for participants. Sunshine Week 2014 is made possible by an endowment from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and by donations from the Gridiron Club and Foundation.

We welcome all groups and individuals to participate and use the resources provided on the Sunshine Week website to mark their open-government efforts the week of March 16-22. Among great resources available is "The Vault," which archives inspirational materials from Sunshine Week 2013, including opinion columns and cartoons. Fresh material that can be used free by anyone will be posted in the "Toolkit" as it is received; check back often! You can also watch the 2013 video in which former ASNE Freedom of Information Committee Co-Chairs Andy Alexander and Tim Franklin discuss ways to get involved with Sunshine Week.    

For more information on Sunshine Week and how to participate, visit sunshineweek.org or contact us at sunshineweek@asne.org. Please send us your artwork and writing to share for the "Toolkit."