Mar 13, 2018 3 min read

Backroom politics are nothing new. Deals, some shady, have been made behind closed doors, out of public view, for centuries. This happens at many levels in this country, from Boy Scout troops to school boards, to municipal, county and state governments, on up to Congress and the White House.

Transparency should be the objective of elected officials, who are expected to honestly and fairly serve the people who voted them into office, keeping them up to date as to what they plan to do, what they are doing and what they have done. Yet, too often, leaders of many types act independently of the electorate, then strive to keep their actions private by limiting access to public records. The latter forces some news organizations to file Freedom of Information requests to gain access to something that is public.

Deeds that are often cloaked in secrecy, however, are now in a media spotlight. This is Sunshine Week nationwide, during which news organizations will assess how well – or how poorly – government agencies are doing in making public records accessible, and the agencies’ overall transparency. It began Sunday and will end Saturday.

The “Sunshine” designation relates to the Sunshine Laws that states have adopted, requiring that certain governmental meetings are open to the public. Pennsylvania has a Sunshine Act and Right to Know Law, details of which are on an online guide from the Governor’s Center for Local Government Services. The act and law, according to the introductory passage of the guide, are there for the benefit of all parties.

Sunshine Laws help curtail misbehavior by government officials, educate the public through greater press coverage of government activities and provide public scrutiny to governmental decision-making,” the introduction states. “Public officials also are able to gain a better understanding of public opinion on the issues. Moreover, open meetings can enhance public faith in the political process.”

That public faith is frequently compromised, causing many to take a lack of transparency for granted on certain issues. The Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association is pushing readers to abandon that mindset – for good.

PNA said in a news release last week that it wanted to remind readers that “freedom of information through an open government is the bedrock of democracy, and is absolutely essential so we can share the factual news they deserve to receive by supporting this campaign.”

From a media standpoint, the Conor Lamb-Rick Saccone special election isn’t the only key vote taking place today. The House State Government Committee is supposed to vote on legislation authored by State Rep. Jim Christiana, R-Beaver, that would require school boards, local governments and other agencies to make meeting agendas available to the public at least 24 hours ahead of time. That would give people time to plan to attend.

Sunshine Week will not eliminate backroom politics, but it does provide some much-needed illumination.