Journalists launch 'Sunshine Week' to press for government openness
WASHINGTON (AP) - The head of a journalists' panel says government efforts to clamp down on the flow of information after Nine-Eleven have turned ``the basic concept of open government on its head.''
Andy Alexander chairs the American Society of Newspaper Editors' Freedom of Information Committee. He says in the past, information was presumed public unless officials offered ``a compelling reason'' to keep it secret. Now, he says, the burden is on citizens to show they need the information.
Journalism organizations plan a nationwide campaign, called ``Sunshine Week,'' to push for more open government. News outlets will run stories, editorials and cartoons on the subject for a week, starting March 13th.
A-P's president and C-E-O says in all levels of government, ``the trend toward secrecy is unmistakable.'' Tom Curley says it's essential for journalists to remind citizens ``how important it is that they get access to what their elected representatives are doing.''
