Sunshine Week starts Sunday; time to remind your audience of the importance of openness in government

Sunshine Week starts Sunday, March 13, and runs through Saturday, March 19. The annual observance, coordinated by the News Leaders Association, celebrates the importance of open government and freedom of information, and an opportunity for news media to tout their role in both. Again this year, some federal agencies such as the National Archives and Records Administration are taking part.

Newsrooms can observe the week in a number of ways. The Sunshine Week website has a content toolkit with stories, editorials, columns, cartoons, and graphics that are free for use. You can engage in social media discussions, too (search for or use the hashtag #SunshineWeek to find them). And you can also find Sunshine Week events, or contribute your own event. Several state newspaper associations have websites with articles, editorials, illustrations and other tools, in addition to the NLA site.