WASHINGTON, D.C. — Six leading journalists have signed on to lead the efforts in their areas of the country for Sunshine Week 2007, March 11-17.
The regional coordinators for the third national Sunshine Week will contact print and broadcast media, educators, civic groups and others in their areas to build a network of participants.
During Sunshine Week—which is led by the American Society of Newspaper Editors and supported by a grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation—media organizations, civic groups, libraries, schools, non-profit organizations and others nationwide participate in coverage of and discussions about the importance of protecting public access to government.
As plans for 2007 are developed, the Sunshine Week Web site will continue to host examples from March 2006 in the frequently updated “Shining Examples” gallery.
The Web site also is showcasing success stories from participants about how their Sunshine Week efforts are making a difference in their communities, their legislatures and elsewhere.
For the first time, Sunshine Week logo merchandise is available for purchase online. Shirts for adults and children, caps, mugs, bags, and more can be found at www.cafepress.com/sunshineweek. All proceeds go directly to Sunshine Week programs.
“We’re going into our third year of Sunshine Week, and the concept just continues to build momentum,” noted American Society of Newspaper Editors President David A. Zeeck, executive editor of The News Tribune in Tacoma, Wash. “We’ve built even stronger relationships with our existing partners, and we’re continually finding new groups and individuals who want to join the fight against unwarranted government secrecy at all levels.”
Individuals, civic groups, libraries, news media and anyone else who wants to help coordinate Sunshine Week efforts in their state or community should get in touch with their regional coordinator, listed below. Contact information is online.
The Sunshine Week 2007 Regional Coordinators are:
- New England (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT):
Thomas E. Heslin, managing editor for new media, The Providence (RI) Journal - Mid-Atlantic (DE, MD, DC, NJ, NY, PA):
Tim Franklin, editor and senior vice president, The Baltimore (MD) Sun - South (AL, AR, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, SC, TN, VA, WV):
Mark Tomasik, editor, Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers, Stuart, FL - Midwest (IL, IN, IA, KS, MI, MN, MO, NE, OH, WS):
Tom O’Hara, managing editor, Cleveland Plain Dealer - West (CO, ID, MT, NM, ND, OK, SD, TX, UT, WY):
Fred Zipp, managing editor, Austin (TX) American-Statesman - Far West (AK, AZ, CA, HI, NV, OR, WA):
Maureen West, senior editor, Arizona Republic, Phoenix.
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office recently granted a registered trademark to ASNE for the Sunshine Week logo. Participants are welcome to use new images, which incorporate the trademark symbol. The new logos are online at www.sunshineweek.org/sunshineweek/logos07.
Sunshine Week is a national initiative to open a dialogue about the importance of open government and freedom of information. Participants include print, broadcast and online news media, civic groups, libraries, non-profits, schools and others interested in the public’s right to know. Sunshine Week is led by ASNE and is funded by a grant from Knight Foundation.
The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation promotes excellence in journalism worldwide and invests in the vitality of U.S. communities where the Knight brothers owned newspapers. For more information about Knight Foundation, go to www.knightfdn.org.