POGO Lights Up for Sunshine Week

Every year during Sunshine Week, citizens across the country shine a light on the problems preventing Americans from enjoying the open government they deserve. This Sunshine Week, which runs from March 11-17, POGO stands alongside journalists, elected officials, and everyday Americans to affirm the necessity of accessible public information.

To mark the occasion, POGO is participating in a series of trainings and panel discussions on transparency, whistleblower protections, and open government in America today.

Friday, March 9:How Do We Know It’s News?

Friday, March 9, 2018

Time: 8:30 AM - 12:00 PM

Last Friday, POGO Director of Investigations Nick Schwellenbach joined accomplished journalists Libby Casey and Dr. Courtney C. Radsch to discuss how reporters produce reliable news when press freedoms are at risk. The panel focused on the dangers journalists and whistleblowers face when they expose corruption and unethical behavior.

Tuesday, March 13: The State of Environmental Transparency

Tue, March 13, 2018

6:00 PM – 8:00 PM EDT

POGO Special Environmental Advisor Andrew Bergman joins a panel of leading journalists, environmentalists, and scientists to discuss transparency’s role in ensuring the responsible stewardship of the environment. The panel will specifically discuss the damaging effect censorship and inappropriate political influence can have on environmental agencies.

Register for the free event here.

Thursday, March 15:Working with Whistleblowers: A Sunshine Week Training for Public Interest Advocates

Thu, March 15, 2018

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM EDT

As part of our commitment to ensuring whistleblowers can safely disclose information, POGO is proud to cosponsor a training session to help advocates work with whistleblowers. The event will teach participants about whistleblower protections, the risks whistleblowers face, and how advocates should work with whistleblowers. Lunch will be provided.

The event will be live streamed for those who RSVP.

Register for the free event here.

Thursday, March 15:Sunshine Week 2018: The State of Open Government

Thu, March 15, 2018

5:30 PM – 9:00 PM EDT

POGO Executive Director Danielle Brian joins a panel of ethicists and data experts, including the former director of the Office of Government Ethics, Walter Shaub, to examine how community groups use open government data.

Following the discussion, there will be the Sunshine Week Happy Hour.

Register for the free event here.

This year, as always, it’s important to advocate for government transparency. Sunshine Week officially wraps up on March 17th, but POGO’s fight for an open, effective, and accountable government never ends.