Did you know that we're in the midst of Sunshine Week?
No, it has nothing to do with the clear blue skies that have blessed central New York for the past few days. Sunshine Week refers to a nationwide organized effort to highlight the importance of open government.
Newspapers, as companies devoted to publishing information about the workings of local, state and federal government, are big supporters of Sunshine Week efforts.
All across the country this week, you can read stories, columns and editorials in newspapers, both in print and online, about open government issues.
Why should it matter to you, the reader?
Because open government does not exist for the news media. It's ultimately a fundamental right for every resident. Democracy would be severely compromised if government could operate in total secrecy. How would the public know if the people they elected were keeping their promises and making the best decisions?
There's no question that there is plenty of easily accessible information about government, especially in the age of the Internet.
Unfortunately, there is also still plenty of room for improvement.
We've seen it here in Auburn with the efforts of this newspaper and our colleagues at the Post-Standard to uncover records pertaining to the investigation of thefts within the Department of Public Works. I can assure you we're continuing to pursue that information because we believe the public has a clear legal right to see all of it, not just the details government officials are comfortable releasing.
But that case is just one of hundreds, if not more, around the country in which government can be doing a better job. That's why there's a need for Sunshine Week every year.
For an informative look at open government issues on the state and federal level, check out sunshineweek.org, the official Web site of this awareness effort.
The site has plenty of information, including some interesting surveys and research studies.
This year, Sunshine Week organizers conducted a thorough survey of state government information online. “Most Americans can easily find videos of water skiing squirrels on the Internet,” reads the introduction to the press release about the survey, “but they'll have less luck finding out whether their children's school buses are safe.”
Executive editor Jeremy Boyer's columns appear Tuesdays in The Citizen and he can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 231 or jeremy.boyer@lee.net
Newspapers, as companies devoted to publishing information about the workings of local, state and federal government, are big supporters of Sunshine Week efforts.
All across the country this week, you can read stories, columns and editorials in newspapers, both in print and online, about open government issues.
Why should it matter to you, the reader?
Because open government does not exist for the news media. It's ultimately a fundamental right for every resident. Democracy would be severely compromised if government could operate in total secrecy. How would the public know if the people they elected were keeping their promises and making the best decisions?
There's no question that there is plenty of easily accessible information about government, especially in the age of the Internet.
Unfortunately, there is also still plenty of room for improvement.
We've seen it here in Auburn with the efforts of this newspaper and our colleagues at the Post-Standard to uncover records pertaining to the investigation of thefts within the Department of Public Works. I can assure you we're continuing to pursue that information because we believe the public has a clear legal right to see all of it, not just the details government officials are comfortable releasing.
But that case is just one of hundreds, if not more, around the country in which government can be doing a better job. That's why there's a need for Sunshine Week every year.
For an informative look at open government issues on the state and federal level, check out sunshineweek.org, the official Web site of this awareness effort.
The site has plenty of information, including some interesting surveys and research studies.
This year, Sunshine Week organizers conducted a thorough survey of state government information online. “Most Americans can easily find videos of water skiing squirrels on the Internet,” reads the introduction to the press release about the survey, “but they'll have less luck finding out whether their children's school buses are safe.”
Executive editor Jeremy Boyer's columns appear Tuesdays in The Citizen and he can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 231 or jeremy.boyer@lee.net
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