WS Chronicle

This is Sunshine Week, March 11-17. This is the week that newspapers and other media become introspective about access to public information and what it means for us and our communities.

Did you know it’s your right to know?

When President Donald Trump trashes the media, he is trashing the American people. Newspapers in particular were founded to challenge government for the people. Newspapers, the first form of media, are known collectively as The Fourth Estate, after the three branches of government in the United States of America.

The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution says: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

The Constitution protects the press, but it seems all other forms of government keep trying to find ways to suppress it.

Except, Gov. Roy Cooper’s administration is seeking feedback on new guidelines for public records requests at state agencies. At least one government official knows how important the media are. And, by the way, public records are supposed to be open to the people, not just the media. Media are the main entities that use public records, by the way, to report to the people.

In North Carolina, a Sunshine Day 2018 event was held March 12 in Greensboro on the N.C. A&T State University campus, spearheaded by the N.C. Open Government Coalition. Topics included legislative transparency, the effectiveness of the new police video law and a learning session on the N.C. Open Meetings Law.

So, this week, remember the U.S. Constitution and let some Sunshine into your life by supporting the media.