Nominate someone in your community who champions open government

As part of Sunshine Week, a national initiative to promote a dialogue about the importance of open government and freedom of information, some "regular citizens" will be honored as local heroes, announced the American Society of News Editors  "As a society, we often associate the word ‘hero’ with movie stars and athletes," said Tim Franklin, co-chair of the ASNE Freedom of Information Committee. Franklin is the Louis A. Weil Jr. Endowed Chair and Director of the National Sports Journalism Center at the Indiana University School of Journalism in Bloomington. "But in a self-governing democracy like ours, it takes the commitment and passion of average citizens doing extraordinary things to make government more open and more accountable."

The winner of the Local Heroes contest will receive an expenses-paid trip in April to San Diego to be honored by the nation’s newsroom leaders at the 2011 ASNE convention. Second- and third-place winners will receive $500 and $250 prizes, respectively, according to the Sunshine Week Web site. The nominations for the award are due Feb. 18. To nominate someone, click here.