Views from the nation’s press

The (Ardmore, Pa.) Main Line Times & Suburban on how Sunshine Week matters:

Each year in March, news media organizations across the country highlight the importance of transparency in government and the work of journalists to ensure openness among elected officials.

Sunshine Week, as the observance is known, is timed to coincide with the March 16 birthday of James Madison, fourth president of the United States and a framer of the Bill of Rights and its guarantee of freedom of the press. Celebrating Sunshine Week at the time of his birthdate is meant to honor Madison for his stalwart protection of a free press as a watchdog over government.

There’s a temptation to think that in this world of seemingly infinite sources of information, people no longer have to worry about such things. In fact, the opposite is true

In an era when misinformation spreads like wildfire and touches on just about every conceivable subject, the need for reliable information is greater than ever. That means open records and open meeting laws have never been more important.

Newspapers such as ours are focused primarily on what’s going on in our communities. For us to do our jobs and properly serve our readers, it is imperative that we along with the rest of the public have access to the meetings and information that enable us to keep track of what municipal and county governments, school boards and other agencies are doing.

Reporting based on such information is far more reliable than the rumor mill in online forums upon which so many people rely.

But continuing to have such access requires vigilance on our parts and the support of the general public. Sunshine laws guarantee the public’s right to access government information at public meetings and through public records, allowing the public to witness decision-making so that the democratic process functions properly. ...

There are ... benefits and challenges in today’s environment. The advent of streaming meetings online has made it easier to keep track of what’s going on but could give officials the ability to manipulate what people can see. The local press must be vigilant and the laws to ensure sunshine must be enforced. ...