MOUNT VERNON — This week will mark the third annual Sunshine Week, a national campaign to promote openness in government and access to public records. Sunshine Week is a non-partisan open government initiative led by the American Society of Newspaper Editors, with online and broadcast media, public officials, celebrities, civic groups, non-profits, libraries, schools, religious leaders and others, according to Sunshineweek.org.
Sunshine Week began in 2002 when the Florida Society of Newspaper Editors promoted Sunshine Sunday, a campaign in response to Florida legislators attempting to create dozens of new exemptions to the state’s public records laws. With their successes in Florida, other states adopted similar campaigns.
Ohio enacted its first public records law in 1963. The law itself was only two paragraphs long and was highlighted with the rule that “All public records shall be open at all reasonable times for inspection.”
Today, Ohio’s public records law has expanded to include nearly 30 exceptions to the public records rule. Certain information once readily available to the public has now been excluded and the list of exemptions continue to grow. Recently prohibited records include police officer residential and familial information, evaluations of trauma centers preparedness to respond to disasters, records pertaining to child support, adoption records, and records pertaining to probation and parole proceedings.
A recent poll conducted by Ohio University and Scripps Howard News Service found that 74 percent of American adults view the federal government as very or somewhat secretive. This is a 12 percent increase from two years ago. The poll also found that 26 percent thought it was somewhat likely federal authorities had probably been spying on journalists. Twelve percent found that notion unlikely.
To promote this year’s Sunshine Week, several organizations including the ASNE, the Creative Coalition, and the Radio-Television News Directors Association and Foundation will be airing a series of public service announcements on all major television networks.
Sunshine Week will continue through March 22.