The week of March 10-16 is Sunshine Week across the United States, and a number of news media and open-government organizations are encouraging the public to get educated and take part in demanding transparency from local, state and federal government bodies.
Much has been made of President Donald Trump’s combative relationship with the news media. In many respects, however, what’s more important to your everyday life is how open the government closest to you operates.
All this week, East Cobb News will be providing links to resources to help you—homeowner, taxpayer, citizen and voter—get the answers you’re looking for from county government agencies, law enforcement, courts, appointed boards, public schools, state and federal government and other public entities.
We’ll point you to where you can file open records requests, explain what’s exempt from those laws and show how to track policies, legislation, court rulings and other developments pertaining to the accessibility of public information.
We’ll also give you a chance to ask East Cobb News if there’s something we can find out for you from local government agencies.
If there’s information you’ve been trying to learn without success, because you’ve been stonewalled or just don’t know where to look, we want to help you get access to those public records.
Sifting through the layers of government even at the local level can be complicated and frustrating for journalists, so we understand how bewildered citizens may feel.
Through Saturday, East Cobb News invites you to send your questions about public information. E-mail: editor@eastcobbnews.com and we’ll get some answers for you.
Public records laws are just that—laws that must be followed by public agencies. They’re not optional, as a city of Atlanta employee is finding out the hard way in a rare criminal charge filed against her for allegedly directing department heads to withhold public records.
Sunshine Week culminates on Saturday, March 16, the birthday of Founding Father James Madison, one of the stalwarts of a free press and open government.
While there’s much to celebrate, there’s also much to keep fighting for. Sunshine Week has been around for 14 years, but the battle for public information is year-round and timeless, as is the vigilance required to demand full and transparency from government agencies.
It’s your government, and you can help it make it more responsive by making it more transparent to you. Sunshine Week is one way to demand the accountability you’re entitled to as a citizen.
General resources
- Sunshine Week
- National Freedom of Information Coalition
- Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press
- Open the Government
- Center for Responsive Politics
- Georgia First Amendment Foundation
- Transparency Project of Georgia
- Georgia Public Records Guide
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