Public invited to forum on open government, journalism Tuesday in Frankfort
Republished from Kentucky Lantern
The public is invited to a forum on open government March 11 in Frankfort.
The reception and forum are sponsored by the Bluegrass Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists as a prelude to Sunshine Week, “the annual national observance of the value of open government and journalism’s role in keeping it open,” according to a news release from Bluegrass SPJ. “The forum is free and open to the public, and any open-government issue is fair game,” says the release.
The event begins at 6 p.m. with a reception at The Foundry (with light hors d’oeuvres) and a cash bar next door at The Cooperage, 325 West Broadway.
The 7 p.m. panel discussion at The Foundry will feature:
- Rep. Jason Nemes, R-Middletown, Kentucky House majority whip,
- Sen. Cassie Chambers Armstrong, D-Louisville, a University of Louisville law
- professor,
- David Thompson, executive director, Kentucky Press Association,
- Becky Jones, first vice president, League of Women Voters of Kentucky.
Topics will include research findings by the League of Women Voters about how the General Assembly is increasingly passing legislation by “fast track” techniques that limit and discourage participation by the public.
The Kentucky Press Association will discuss legislative efforts to allow local governments to publish their public notices (“legal ads”) on their own websites instead of local newspapers. That is likely to cause some newspapers to close because public notices have become such a significant part of their income with the migration of retail advertising to digital-only media, according to the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues at the University of Kentucky.
There will be a question-and-answer period; members of the public are invited to share their views on openness and transparency in government or on how journalists perform their jobs as watchdogs of government.
Organizers suggest signing up for the event to help with refreshment planning at EventBrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/public-forum-on-open-government-tickets-1260333353989?aff=oddtdtcreator
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