Let the sun shine; press shines light on info
Give light and the people will find their own way.
— Motto of the former E.W. Scripps newspaper
chain Since the early days of our Republic, the press has played a key role in informing the citizenry of the actions of their government — local, state and national — and empowered people to act on that information.
Since then, federal, state and local laws have expanded the ability of citizens — and the press, on their behalf — to gain access to the information that politicians and government officials use to make decisions that affect the lives of their constituents.
This includes access to meetings of public officials as well as documents in a government agency’s possession.
These statutes are generally known as freedom of information laws, or Sunshine Laws because of the belief that sunlight is a powerful disinfectant against corruption and skullduggery.
Arkansas’ Freedom of Information Act turned 50 in 2017 and is one of the strongest public records/ open meetings laws in the nation.
Despite recent amendments that weakened it, the Arkansas FOIA remains one of the best tools available to pry loose information from sometimes reluctant officials that citizens need to stay informed and to feel empowered to act in their best interest.
This week — the 13th annual observance of national Sunshine Week — offers citizens and public officials an opportunity to reflect on how freedom of information laws help everyone be better informed and why such laws are essential to our experiment with democracy.
Launched in 2005 by the American Society of Newspaper Editors (now the American Society of News Editors), Sunshine Week coincides with the March 16 birthday of James Madison, father of the U.S. Constitution and an author of the Bill of Rights.
The importance of Arkansas’ FOIA can be seen in a quick review of articles and opinion pieces in just one newspaper over a three-month span. Between December 12 and March 12, about 50 articles in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette dealt with freedom of information issues.
Without the state Freedom of Information Act, Arkansans might not know about:
• Questions about the relationship between the