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Sunshine Week 2006: Shining Examples Gallery

Published: May 25, 2006
Last Updated: August 03, 2006

Making a Difference: Click here for Sunshine Week success stories.

Below are examples of the many different ways participants marked Sunshine Week 2006. They are in no particular ranking, but do try to demonstrate a variety of ideas from many different arenas. These pages will be continually updated.

Click on the chapter heads to get to that gallery page, which includes more information and links to participants' work.

To share your Sunshine Week work, please e-mail materials to Debra Gersh Hernandez, Sunshine Week coordinator, or use our online form.

The San Jose Mercury News: The San Jose Mercury News didn't just endorse open government legislation, it wrote its own model Sunshine Law and invited readers to comment. "We offer this draft sunshine law as a way to start the conversation about how our government can better serve the people," Executive Editor Susan Goldberg wrote in a letter to readers.

The Florida Society of Newspaper Editors: In 2006, every major daily newspaper in Florida participated in the state's fifth Sunshine Sunday, and as it has each year since Sunshine Sunday was launched in 2002, FSNE collects the editorials, cartoons, columns and related stories on its Web site.

The Open Records Blues: Believed to be the first song written for Sunshine Week, the Open Records Blues is based loosely on a real case to gain access to police records. Bill Lueders, news editor of Isthmus newspaper and president of the Wisconsin Freeedom of Information Council, wrote the lyrics.

The Associated Press and Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack: At the suggestion of AP's Iowa bureau, Gov. Vilsack proclaimed March 12-18 to be "Sunshine Week" in Iowa. The proclamation read, in part, that "the terror-ridden and despotic regimes around the world have shown that democracy cannot flourish when the public’s right to know is compromised."

The Eastern Progress, Eastern Kentucky University, Richmond: The Eastern Progress, campus newspaper of Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond, published a staff written editorial and an editorial cartoon from the national Sunshine Week Toolkit. The editorial noted that lawmakers and university administrators must operate with a presumption of openness. "Keeping public records public may not seem like that big of a deal, but it's a lot like free speech—you don't realize how valuable it is until it's taken away."

A History of FOIA, hosted by Judy Woodruff: Journalist Judy Woodruff hosted a video history of the Freedom of Information Act. The video was produced for Sunshine Week in conjunction with the Radio-Television News Directors Foundation.

The Olympian, Timberland Regional Library, League of Women Voters Thurston County and TCTV: Working together to produce a televised forum on the importance of open government, a newspaper, television station, civic group and library in Washington state embodied the scope of Sunshine Week and its importance to the public. The discussion coincided with a nationwide teleforum.

The Oklahoman, Oklahoma City: The Oklahoman used Sunshine Week to demonstrate how many stories in the newspaper are developed because of open records or meetings by placing the Sunshine Week icon next to the start of each item. The newspaper made its point visually more than 100 times during the week, on roughly 7 in 10 articles it published. The Oklahoman also ran house ads to explain Sunshine Week and the use of the icons.

Amy Gahran, "Sun Still Shining Online," Poynter Online: Boulder-based content strategist and "info-provocateur" Amy Gahran provided a look at Sunshine Week online resources. "Despite its ephemeral reputation, online media can vastly extend the life and reach of a time-focused event like a one-week campaign," she wrote.

The County Courier, Enosburg, Vt.: In his editorial in advance of Sunshine Week, Editor Ethan Dezotelle of the weekly County Courier made his point both visually and with words by redacting portions of the text. "There's always room for more sunshine in our lives. When it comes to government, we just have to be willing to stand up in the darkness and demand it," he wrote.

Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services, Washington: Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services offered a special OnePage for use during Sunshine Week that was based on a longer online quiz of First Amendment knowledge developed by the Student Press Law Center in Arlington, Va. The multiple-choice questions ranged from relatively simple to more complex scenarios

The Honolulu Advertiser: Among its extensive coverage of open government issues and public forums, The Honolulu Advertiser included in its online coverage a readership poll. The results, though unscientific, clearly showed respondents overwhelmingly believe they have less access to state and county information than they did a year ago.

Student Press Law Center, Arlington, Va.: To help student journalists mark Sunshine Week, the Student Press Law Center produced a series of articles to help high school and college students understand what information is available to them and how they can get it.

The Heritage Foundation, Washington: The Heritage Foundation hosted a Sunshine Week panel discussion titled, "What if the Answers Don't Add Up? Transparency and Government Data," which examined trends in government data collection and what happens when that data is withheld from the public.

U.S. News & World Report, Washington: In an interview with U.S. News & World Report, Steven Aftergood, director of the Federation of American Scientists' Project on Government Secrecy, talked about the need for Sunshine Week and the increasing pace of government secrecy. Aftergood told reporter David E. Kaplan that, "What I'm concerned about is that we may lose sight of our own ideals as a society. We may lose the expectation of open, accountable government. We will simply assume that the most important political decisions are out of reach and beyond our ability to affect."

The League of Women Voters, Billings, and The Billings (Mont.) Gazette: The League of Women Voters in Billings hosted an open government forum during Sunshine Week that was attended by elected officials and local government department heads, Becky Shay reported in The Billings Gazette. Among those on the two panels, which were televised on a local station several times during the week were Billings area attorneys, government officials, print and broadcast journalists, and a librarian. The Gazette covered the forum and offered its own editorials and commentary on open government in Montana.

"Washington Journal," C-SPAN, Washington: Clay Bennett, editorial cartoonist for The Christian Science Monitor, was the guest of Brian Lamb for an hour-long segment on C-SPAN's Washington Journal during Sunshine Week. Bennett, president of the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists, joined the program from Boston to discuss Sunshine Week and editorial cartooning. During the course of the program, Lamb featured many of the cartoons from the Sunshine Week Toolkit.

The Providence (R.I.) Journal: The Providence Journal created a special Web page to house its Sunshine Week coverage. The paper then went further by providing special links for information about open government issues, by including a link to student essays written for Sunshine Week 2005, and by giving readers the opportunity to comment on their experience with access to government information.

"NOW," PBS, New York: The PBS weekly newsmagazine "Now" produced a special one-hour report on government secrecy that aired during Sunshine Week. Included in Now's special Sunshine Week coverage are links to FOIA classification rules, FOIA history, state FOIA efforts, a reporter's notebook, and online discussions about domestic spying.

The Telegraph, Nashua, N.H.: The Telegraph kicked off Sunshine Week with a Perspectives cover column by editor in chief Nick Pappas that was based in part on his query to the paper's Reader Advisory Network about why open government is important to their lives. Also on the Perspectives front were a column by Sunshine Week Honorary Chairman Hodding Carter III and a cartoon from John Sherffius. Inside was the first of two editorials on the importance of open government. The Telegraph featured coverage by The Associated Press and Scripps Howard News Service throughout the week, and Pappas went on a local radio program to discuss open government issues.

PARADE Magazine, New York: In anticipation of Sunshine Week, PARADE Magazine featured an insightful article by reporter Lyric Wallwork Winik about government secrecy asking, "Are they taking away our freedoms?" The article features comments from lawmakers and government access experts, as well as links to relevant Web sites, including Sunshine Week, for more information.

Wyoming Valley West Senior High School, Plymouth, Pa.: Students at Wyoming Valley West Senior High School marked Sunshine Week with class discussions and a T-shirt designed by two classmates. About 85 students wore the shirts during the Tuesday of Sunshine Week, March 14,.

Carroll County Times, Westminster, Md.: The banner headline on the Sunday, March 12, 2006 edition of the Carroll County Times got right to the point. "Redacted" text in the headline and in the modified flag graphically demonstrated to readers the frustration of excessive withholding of information. Also on the front page were stories focusing on how communities can suffer if information is withheld, the public's right to that information, and what lawmakers are doing to open meetings rules. The package also featured several stories inside the paper. Three Maryland newspapers produced and shared the stories with members of the Maryland-Delaware-D.C. Press Association.

South Dakotans for Open Government, Brookings: "For me, equal rights have been a vague principle for my living situation. I am a 17-year-old Native American girl, and I live in one of the country’s most poverty-stricken reservations. So begins the essay by 17-year-old Charlee Bad Wound of Pine Ridge, student division winner in the South Dakotans for Open Government second annual Sunshine Week "Let the Sun Shine In" essay contest. In the adult division, Kaleb Boese, 20, of Freeman took home the award for his essay examining the need for equality as a component of social harmony.

Elon University, North Carolina: Journalism students at Elon University in North Carolina took advantage of a campus lecture by former Washington Post executive editor Ben Bradlee to tape an interview segment for their Sunshine Week program. The Bradlee interview, which includes questions from 5th grade students at nearby Elon Elementary School, capped the program, which also featured a discussion with Alamance News Publisher Tom Boney, who fought against closed meetings, and an overview of the laws in North Carolina. Copies of the program on DVD were mailed to elementary school teachers throughout Alamace County.

Los Angeles Fire Department News & Information: The LAFD News & Information blog focused on Sunshine Week on Sunday, March 12, reminding readers of "the importance of all Americans to become active in guiding the workings of their local, regional, state and federal agencies—and that includes the Los Angeles Fire Department."

Black College Wire, Washington: When Hampton University senior Daarel Burnette II went to the campus police department to prepare his Sunshine Week article for Black College Wire, the former Hampton Script editor expected what he'd experienced in the past: administrative derision and lack of cooperation. "So," as he wrote, "it was nothing less than a shock when the police department secretary handed me a glossy booklet listing all the campus crime reported since 2002 in an organized chart.

The Times, Shreveport, La.: The Times in Shreveport, La., marked Sunshine Week with comprehensive in-paper and online coverage, in addition to co-hosting a debate on national security issues. The event, sponsored by The Times and Northwestern State University's Student Government Association and the NSU Department of Journalism, featured Colorado Gov. Bill Owens and ACLU Executive Director Anthony Romero. In addition to its involvement in the debate, The Times featured a week's worth of articles and graphics in print and online focusing on open government issues in the community.

The Associated Press, New York: The Associated Press produced a series of articles for Sunshine Week, both at the national level and within its bureaus across the country. The results of AP's analysis of FOI laws in all 50 states since 9/11, found that among the 1,023 new laws passed that change the public's access to government information and meetings, 616 restricted access, while only 284 made access easier.

Herald Standard, Uniontown, Pa.: Finding "no better laboratory in which to experiment than the Pennsylvania Legislature," the Herald Standard published a special form for readers to send to lawmakers in an effort to get information on state legislators' spending. The Herald Standard included legislators' photos, office addresses, and phone and fax numbers.

The Brookings Institution, Washington: The Brookings Institution in Washington hosted a Sunshine Week panel that looked at the issue of "Global Transparency: Empowerment and Democracy in the 21st Century" with panelists from around the world. "The debate over the relative merits of transparency and secrecy is not just an American debate any more," Senior Fellow Ann Florini commented. "There are now some 60 countries around the world that have some version of freedom of information acts and the numbers are growing all of the time."

The Sun, Lowell, Mass.: Each morning during Sunshine Week, readers of The Sun found the banner reading, "Today's news is brought to you by the First Amendment," across the front pages of their newspapers. "The response from readers was exceptional," said Editor Jim Campanini, adding that the paper is considering whether to include the message as a permanent feature of its editorial page.

The San Diego (Calif.) Union-Tribune: The San Diego Union-Tribune integrated its print and online coverage, providing Sunshine Week articles in the newspaper, while linking to other resources for research and information via its Web site. "Throughout these pages this week, we will bring focus to your right—an individual's right—to access government," explained Editor Karin Winner in a front-page letter to readers.

Gannett Co. Inc., McLean, Va.: Gannett's NewsWatch newsletter profiled the efforts of some of the company's newspapers and its news service during Sunshine Week. "The work ranged from surveys of government agencies to see how accessible public records are, to a forum in Shreveport on the Patriot Act," wrote news executive Ann Clark in the roundup. "There were primers on how to access records and dozens of editorials and columns."

The League of Women Voters, Washington: The League of Women Voters announced its Sunshine Week plans the previous November, with the launch of its "Openness in Government: Looking for the Sunshine" project. With funding from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the League selected 14 chapters to host community forums in conjunction with a national teleconference. LWV also produced a resource guide for local chapters.

The Plain Dealer, Cleveland, Ohio: The Plain Dealer launched a week's worth of open government coverage in print and on its Web site with articles and editorials that carried readers through the week. On Monday, the paper produced a special feature that explained what a public record is and helped readers understand how they can access government information. To promote Sunshine Week, The Plain Dealer incorporated the Sunshine Week poster created by The Buffalo News into a house ad.

Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal: Governor Freudenthal proclaimed March 11-17, 2006 as Sunshine Week in Wyoming. Noting that among the nation's founding liberties were the rights encompassed by the First Amendment, Freudenthal declared that, "the democratic process is built upon the rights of citizens to question and hold their elected officials accountable on their actions and motives while they are representing them."

The First Amendment Center: The First Amendment Center hosted its eighth annual National Freedom of Information Day at The Freedom Forum World Headquarters in Arlington, Va. Panels looked at the impact of a recent executive order regarding FOIA; the difficulties facing whistleblowers; and a legislative review of access issues. In addition, 21 "champions of open government" were inducted into the National FOIA Hall of Fame.

The Journal News, White Plains, N.Y.: "It's time for another push," read The Journal News' Sunshine Week kickoff editorial. In a follow up to its 2005 FOI audit of local government offices, the paper found little change in police departments, which had been the worst offenders. Along with Sunshine Week reports, reporters' audit notebooks and a link to its special coverage last year, The Journal News posted online its interactive "Ten Steps to Getting Government Information."

The Greenville (S.C.) News: From secrecy in the courts to report fees, online resources, emergency response plans and how people can effect change, each day during Sunshine Week The Greenville News ran a front-page article on an open government issue involving its community. In addition to its print coverage, an info box each day explained Sunshine Week and directed readers to the News' Web site for more resources, including how to file a Freedom of Information Act request.

Maine Gov. John E. Baldacci; 122nd Maine Legislature: Lawmakers in Maine got behind Sunshine Week, supporting it with proclamations, resolutions and opinion pieces. The official state Web site also posted information about Sunshine Week on its Freedom of Access Act (FOAA) page, which also sports the Sunshine Week evergreen logo.

The Richmond (Va.) Times-Dispatch: The Richmond Times-Dispatch focused its fourth Public Square forum on "Your Right to Know: Keeping Government Open" during Sunshine Week 2006. The event, held at a local college and moderated by Times-Dispatch President and Publisher Thomas A. Silvestri, complemented the paper's print and online coverage.

The Journal Gazette, Fort Wayne, Ind.: The Journal Gazette's main Sunshine Week feature examined the difficulty prisoners have in getting public information. The paper partnered its print reporting with a strong Open Records page on its Web site that included links its news reporting, and directed readers to state and federal resources, documents such as a handbook on the state's Public Access Laws and a sample request letter.

The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Opening its Sunshine Week coverage with a two-fer, The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle produced an eye-opening report about its attempts to get violence reports from local school districts, then it capped the week with a comprehensive look at disruptive incidents in the schools utilizing the same documents it requested in the audit. Enhancing the coverage were opinion pages featuring commentary from FOI experts and students. In addition, the paper offered a bold full-page graphic that showed how to navigate the Freedom of Information Law maze.

The Arizona Newspapers Association: "We are urging all members to participate in Sunshine Week." The Arizona Newspapers Association got right to the point with those words in its Arizona Publisher Briefly newsletter. But ANA didn't just encourage its members to participate, it also showed them where to get the resources they might need to supplement—or, if needed, make up the bulk of—their coverage.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: As it did in 2006, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution featured profiles of eight local open government who "are shining a light on government." Each individual was featured in a short profile in the paper's Sunday @issue section, which also featured cut-outs on how to file federal and state FOIA requests. On the same Sunday, The Journal-Constitution devoted two full pages to "The laws at work," features on important news stories developed using open records laws.