FREEDOM OF THE PRESS AND OPEN GOVERNMENT
How are Freedom of the Press and Open Government related?
If access to information is limited to the press, it is limited to the public and
your right to know is impeded. If government controls the press and our access
to information, it can do whatever it wants without being held accountable.
Professional journalists are held to a code of ethics that hold them accountable for
telling the truth to their readers. Research this code of ethics and think about how
an open government is essential to a functioning and relevant news source. Look
up these websites to help you in your research:
spj.org, rtnda.org
and
asne.org
.
What does this mean for you?
As a student, you may be wondering what this issue means for you. It may seem
that it doesn’t affect your life, but there are many ways in which open government
laws can impact your access to information and how you make decisions.
High school journalism:
How does open government apply to schools and high school journalism?
Who has the ultimate decision in your school about what should run in the
newspaper? The student editor, the teacher advisor, the principal, the PTA? You
can find out more about this issue and the 2007 legislation that was first proposed
to protect students’ rights to a free press in their schools by reviewing the history
on the Legislature’s home page at
.
aspx?year=2007&bill=1307
. Review the available documents, including the
original bill and the bill analysis before discussing your opinions on this issue with
your classmates. To get involved and voice your opinion on this topic, search your
newspaper’s online archives for information and opinions about this bill. Contribute
to this dialogue by writing a letter to the editor or engaging in an online forum on
the topic.
Vote! Making up your mind about voting on issues.
In November of 2016, you will have the chance to vote in your first presidential
election. In addition, there will be many local issues and officials up for election in
your city and state in non-presidential elections. If you don’t have access to all of
the relevant information on these candidates and issues, how can you be expected
to make an informed decision? One of the matters of open records that helps
people make informed decisions about candidates has to do with money — where
they get it and who gives it. You can find out all of the sources of income for each
of the candidates by visiting their websites. Keeping this information public means
that candidates pay attention to where their money comes from and think about
what these contributors might expect in return. Without this transparency, you
might never learn where candidates get their funding. This issue is an important
factor for many people in choosing a candidate who aligns with their same
interests. You can find the various sources of income for our state and federal
candidates by visiting the following websites:
Washington state:
pdc.wa.gov
Federal:
fec.gov
and
opensecrets.org
You can make your voice heard by participating in a mock election in November.
The Washington state Student Mock Election is held every year the week before
national Election Day. Students may vote online throughout the week and are
able to view results on Friday afternoon. Students in grades 6-12 vote on the
measures and candidates that appear on the actual ballot voters use. Younger
students vote on more age-appropriate versions of the ballot. Learn more at:
sos.wa.gov/elections/mock/
FINDING RELIABLE NEWS SOURCES: DO YOU BELIEVE WHAT YOU HEAR
ON TV, RADIO AND THE INTERNET?
Professional journalists and reporters are trained to evaluate their news sources.
Those working for news media organizations have editors who evaluate their
stories and demand that sources be reliable and accountable. Most news media
organizations require that sources be identified. This allows readers, news
consumers, to recognize that information is traceable to the specific entity or
person providing it. Journalists are curious, skeptical and relentless in pursuing
facts; they must justify these facts with accountable and reliable sources. With
many Web-based informationists posting “news” independent of recognized news
organizations, adherence to journalistic principles is uncertain. Accountable news
providers avoid rhetorical questions and structure, instead providing detail and fact
to justify their accounts. The consumer must remain curious and skeptical of their
sourcing. Evaluate your news sites for specific, reliable and identifiable sources to
be a smart news consumer.
SHINING THE LIGHT ON YOUR GOVERNMENT | 7
