FOR RELEASE: March 16, 2022
Contact: Richard T. Kaplar
The Media Institute
703-243-5700
Arlington, Va., March 16 – The Media is joining in the celebration of Sunshine Week 2022, taking place March 13 to 19.
Sunshine Week is the annual nationwide celebration of access to public information, coordinated by the News Leaders Association. Participating in the celebration are media outlets, journalism organizations, civic groups, educators, and individuals around the country.
“The right of access to government records is essential if the media are to fulfill their role of informing the public,” said Media Institute President Richard Kaplar. “The Freedom of Information Act is the cornerstone of that access, and records obtained through FOIA requests over the years have been critical in shedding light on government practices that deserved scrutiny.
“A culture of open government is a hallmark of a strong democracy and goes hand-in-hand with freedom of the press,” Kaplar said.
More information about the week is available at https://www.newsleaders.org/sunshine-week-about.
The Media Institute is a nonprofit foundation working to advance sound communications policy, freedom of speech, and excellence in journalism. For more information, visit the Institute online at www.mediainstitute.org.
# # #