Power of the paper trail: Xpress calls on activists who harness government information

The fight to keep government information free and accessible to the public goes on all year, but there's one week in particular when journalists, historians and activists mount a coordinated campaign for official openness: Sunshine Week, and this year it runs from March 14 to 20 (see www.sunshineweek.org for details).

Let the sun shine: This year Sunshine Week — an annual salute to open government and freedom of information — runs from March 14 to 20. Xpress plans to mark the event by sharing the stories of local citizens who've used public records to further their causes.

In years past, Mountain Xpress has marked the occasion by publishing excerpts from The Xpress Files, our ever-growing online archive of government documents (see it at www.mountainx.com/xpressfiles). This year, we're calling on local activists to share how they've pried info loose and put it to good use.

To do that, we're counting on your help. Have you or someone you know succeeded in finding and freeing records that shine a light on public policy, abuse of power or the inner workings of a government agency? Please let us know by contacting reporter David Forbes at dforbes@mountainx.com, or at 251-1333, ext. 137.

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