N.C. Open Government Coalition

WSOC-TV wins Sunshine Award for journalism

The North Carolina Open Government Coalition awarded a Sunshine Award for Journalism to WSOC-TV Channel 9 out of Charlotte for its efforts to demand accountability from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department after the police department announced major changes to its public information and public records policies. The award was presented at the annual N.C. News and …

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UNC journalism professor Ryan Thornburg wins Sunshine Award

The North Carolina Open Government Coalition awarded a Sunshine Award for Citizen transparency work to Associate Professor Ryan Thornburg, who teaches journalism in the Hussman School of Journalism and Media at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The award was presented at the annual N.C. News and Information Summit held at Elon University …

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Huntersville clerk Janet Pierson wins Sunshine Award

The North Carolina Open Government Coalition awarded the 2023 Sunshine Award for Government work to Janet Pierson, clerk for the Town of Huntersville. The award was presented at the annual N.C. News and Information Summit held at Elon University on Sunshine Day. The Sunshine Award recognizes Pierson’s more than 20 years of dedicated service to …

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Sponsor Spotlight at the NC News & Information Summit

Thanks to our generous sponsors, the North Carolina News & Information Summit is able to host dynamic, engaging sessions on freedom of information and news sustainability with the goal of improving North Carolina citizens’ access to critical information. Read on to learn more about our sponsors and check in on their efforts to improve news …

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Coalition joins Reporters Committee brief in 4th Circuit court records case

The North Carolina Open Government Coalition is urging a federal appeals court to overturn a lower court ruling that restricts public access to non-confidential court records. In 2012, clerks of court in Virginia launched a program that provides electronic remote access to non-confidential court records and filings in Virginia civil cases. However, remote access is …

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Public Official Small Groups: Do public servant check-ins violate the Open Meetings Law?

North Carolinaโ€™s Open Meetings Law (OML) requires public bodies to conduct their business in public. Public bodies must notify the public of regularly scheduled, special and emergency meetings, must deliberate and vote in public, and must create a record of public business by keeping minutes. When public officials meet in small groups to discuss public …

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N.C. Appeals Court Strengthens Fair Report Privilege

Note: N.C. Open Government Coalition board member Amanda Martin contributed this post. Martin serves as counsel for the North Carolina Press Association and Supervising Attorney for the First Amendment Law Clinic at Duke University. The N.C. Court of Appeals handed down some very good news for journalists this month. The case arose after the arrest …

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