With a decline in the independent, local newspaper industry as a whole, publicly-funded institutions have attempted to fill in the many gaps that have been left behind. Journalism schools, many of which are state government operated, have played a large role in this process. “It's great for communities because they get local news that they otherwise wouldn't get,” said … [Read more...] about Sunshine Law could allow for backdoor censorship of publicly funded journalism
FOIA
Local governments use pandemic to try to stall FOIA requests
FOIA advocates in Illinois successfully fought off attempts by local governments to slow access to public information in the early stages of the pandemic. But many journalists are still warily watching how the local leaders conduct business in the “new normal” of virtual meetings and limited or reduced access to government offices. “You have to be vigilant all the time,” … [Read more...] about Local governments use pandemic to try to stall FOIA requests