The idea behind open government is simple.
Public officials serve the public, public meetings should be conducted in the open, and public records belong to the public.
Laws like the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) exist for a reason — not as a courtesy extended by government agencies, but as a guarantee that citizens and journalists have the right to see how decisions are being made and how tax dollars are being spent.
Yet in recent months, it seems that many local entities are trying to make access to those public records more difficult.
At the Index-Journal, we file FOIA requests regularly as part of our responsibility to inform Lakelands residents about what is happening in their communities. Those requests follow the law and the proper procedures outlined within it. But, too often the response is not transparency — it is delay.
Heavy redactions have become common. Records that should shed light on important issues arrive blacked out to the point that their usefulness is questionable.
In other cases, public agencies attempt to tack on fees that seem designed less to recover costs and more to discourage inquiry altogether. These tactics, whether intentional or not, amount to kicking the can down the road, after legitimate requests for information have been made.
The troubling part is that this appears to be a growing trend.
There seems to be a common thread among several local governments of trying to make it harder and harder for journalists — and the public at large — to gain access to records that are clearly public under the law. The result is a system where transparency becomes the exception instead of the rule.
It would be naïve to think the national climate surrounding media hasn’t played a role. Negative messaging about journalists and news organizations has filtered down from the national level to local communities, and its ripple effects are real.
When public officials begin to view the press as an adversary rather than a conduit of information to the public, access suffers.
Here in the Lakelands, that has translated into something of a gridlock for Index-Journal reporters attempting to obtain information we need, to accurately report what’s happening inside local municipalities.
Right now, there appears to be some smoke billowing from several local governments. Our job is to determine whether there is a fire that needs to be exposed. But, doing that work becomes significantly more difficult when there are constant attempts to keep reporters and readers in the dark, about the circumstances that have led to the turmoil we’re seeing in at least three Lakelands communities.
Transparency should not be something that has to be fought for at every turn.
We appreciate readers who recognize when local governments appear to be keeping the wool pulled over their eyes. Public pressure matters. Open government works best when citizens demand it.
To the residents who have taken the step of filing their own FOIA requests in search of answers, we commend you. That kind of civic engagement is exactly what transparency laws were designed to encourage.
Democracy depends on light. We intend to keep shining it, even when holding the flashlight creates tension.
We encourage you to do the same.