Sunshine Week starts Sunday; is your newsroom on board?

It's almost time for Sunshine Week, the annual celebration of open government and journalism's role in it. If your news outlet hasn't planned any coverage or commentary yet, don't worry: the Sunshine Week website has a bank of free-for-use stories and visuals from major publications along with an idea bank to get you started.

Observing Sunshine Week is worth the effort. With public trust in the news media at an all-time low, it's more important than ever to remind readers of the role that independent news media play in keeping the government accountable, and not just next week. In the current environment, every week could be Sunshine Week. Here's an idea for regular reminders to readers, listeners and viewers.

The observance is led by the American Society of News Editors and the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. Check the Sunshine Week website for coverage ideas, a social media schedule and other resources.