Some selected news articles from this week from all over
Columbus Dispatch
Maintaining democratic freedoms, safeguarding against abuse of power by government and catching (or, better yet, discouraging) corruption requires a vigilant and informed citizenry, necessitating a transparent government: People have to be able to see what their government is doing, and to whom or for whom.
But governments continue to delay or withhold public information. Regrettably, this was the experience of student journalists who requested public records at 12 of the state’s 14 taxpayer-supported universities....
if a newspaper must fight to obtain public records, it must be doubly difficult for citizens.
“If you get stonewalled as a citizen on a public-records request,” said Ohio Auditor Dave Yost, “ the only thing you can do is go get a lawyer and go to court. If you’re not independently wealthy and have plenty of time to burn, you’re out of luck.”’
Iowa Gazette did a project asking public school districts for information to see how responsive they would be. Iowa school superintendent salary requests
This is Sunshine Week — an annual call for transparent and open government. A yearly reminder that public officials must conduct the public’s business in full public view.
Jackson (MS) Free Press
Many public servants often forget, or ignore, that the public has the right to know just about everything they do. We pay them, and it is up to us to hold them accountable. But, often, the sun simply doesn't shine on local or state government—and it's as bad as we've ever seen it in Mississippi. Sometimes it's ineptness, sometimes it's trickery, sometimes it's nefarious, sometimes it's ignorance of sunshine laws, including the Mississippi Open Records Law, established to give the public, and thus the media, the right to a prompt response to information requests.
We-the-people also have the right to be present for the vast majority of public meetings, including work sessions of government groups although many want to work behind closed doors until they can present a "done deal" to the public. Not good.
Times Argus (Vermont)
Who can argue against open and transparent government?
It means different things to different people. Arguments can be clouded with misinterpretations of the law, personal interests and other factors. It also is easier to make decisions when nobody is watching.
The vast majority of our elected state and local officials are trustworthy, dedicated and passionate individuals who want to do the right thing. However, corruption can exist. In small doses corruption can be just as corrosive to our democracy as any prominent scandal, undermining the public’s trust.
Washington Tiimes-regarding text messages
Correspondence related to public business by elected officials is public record. All of it. That means “snail mail,” Faxes and emails.
But muddying the public records law process is perhaps the most popular, quickest and often creative way people communicate - text messages.
Deseret Sun- Can privacy and technology co-exist?
This year, we should add a more sweeping question to the list: How will the First Amendment survive the dramatic changes in information technology? Complicated disputes are popping up everywhere.
Cases moving through the courts range from whether Facebook "likes" and Twitter posts are protected speech (both for the moment are) to what speech rights businesses should have (they're expanding).
The mere definition of free speech is getting clouded: Are video games a kind of speech? And what about computer-driven content like searches and automated stories? Put another way, can iPhone's Siri claim First Amendment rights if she somehow libels you?
First amendment laws shaped over decades are colliding with modern privacy concerns. On some campuses, protesters are objecting to free speech. There's growing support for "right to be forgotten" laws that allow people to erase pieces of their past they don't want found.
Jackson Florida- really interesting article about the costs of attempting to get police email.
