“Sunshine Sunday”/“Sunshine Week to shed light on government secrecy Mar. 13

The Tennessee Coalition for Open Government has joined in support of several national journalism organizations to ask every news organization in Tennessee to participate in “Sunshine Sunday” or “Sunshine Week” on March 13 and the week following

We urge all media to look for editorials, op-ed pieces and news stories that spotlight the need for the public’s right to know and the media’s constitutional role in helping provide that information.

This web site contain a dozen or so topics that can be written about or localized. And, at the direction of the TCOG board of directors, materials are to be mailed to publishers, news directors, editors and editorial writers by the middle of the week of Feb. 28, 2005, to give added fodder.

The Associated Press will be gathering and distributing materials that can be used, and, if possible, we’ll try to deliver the best of that information to non-AP members as well.

Several national organizations have Websites that will provide resource material as well, the more local it is to your readers, viewers and listeners the more relevance it might have with them.

Here’s some websites: The Associated Press Managing Editors apme@ap.org and www.sunshineweek.org/.

The Associated Press Managing Editors Association encourages journalists to join the national Sunshine initiative for greater public access to government and information.

"Sunshine Sunday" and "Sunshine Week: Your Right to Know" kick off March
13, 2005, and continue through the following week.

Participating daily and weekly newspapers, magazines, online sites, and radio and television broadcasters will feature editorials, op-eds, editorial cartoons, and news and feature stories that drive public discussion about why open government is important to everyone, not just to journalists.

 "We all have a stake in open government that responds to the needs and wishes of the people it serves," said APME President Deanna Sands, managing editor of the Omaha (Neb.) World-Herald. "That's the challenge and opportunity for citizens of a representative democracy.

"We must pay attention either through our own efforts or through those of skilled journalists who act as watchdogs. Sunshine Week is a way to remind us how important vigilance is." APME and other participating organizations will provide details and materials closer to Sunshine Week.

Find out more about the initiative at:  http://www.apme.com/news/2004/121404sunshine.shtml