N.C. Open Government Coalition

2025 Sunshine Awards honor exceptional statewide journalism

Sunshine Awards /

DURHAM, N.C.—The North Carolina Open Government Coalition announced the 2025 Sunshine Awards in journalism on March 12 at the fourth annual NC News & Information Summit.  Nearly 300 Summit attendees convened at NC Central’s Student Center to participate in more than 30 hour-long workshops. The Sunshine Awards ceremony followed the morning’s keynote, “A Lifeline for […]

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NC Court of Appeals Delivers Massive Win for Access Advocates, Clarifies Attorneys’ Fees Statute in Gray Media v. City of Charlotte

Case Updates, In the News /

A North Carolina appeals court has reaffirmed that records produced by government officials and stored with private contractors are the property of the people and subject to the North Carolina Public Records Act. In Gray Media v. City of Charlotte, the North Carolina Court of Appeals unanimously held that the city violated the public records

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WSOC-TV logo

WSOC-TV wins Sunshine Award for journalism

Sunshine Awards /

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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Thornburg

UNC journalism professor Ryan Thornburg wins Sunshine Award

Sunshine Awards /

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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Scales of justice on desk in notary's office

Huntersville clerk Janet Pierson wins Sunshine Award

Sunshine Awards /

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

Uncategorized /

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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A photo of the Federal Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia

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

Uncategorized /

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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An image from a local government meeting

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

In the News, Meetings /

North Carolina’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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NC General Assembly leadership started automatically deleting legislators’ email. Is that legal under the Public Records Act?

Records, State Legislature /

North Carolina legislative leadership has implemented a policy to automatically delete legislators’ emails after three years. This move raises a number of legal and administrative problems for open government in North Carolina.

NC General Assembly leadership started automatically deleting legislators’ email. Is that legal under the Public Records Act? Read More »

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