From the Burlington Times-News (3/12/12): When most see or hear the words "Freedom of Information Act," or "North Carolina Open Meetings Law" or "North Carolina Public Records Law," they almost immediately think those are tools only the media can use.
Wrong.
It’s true the media in general and newspapers in particular make the most use of those laws, especially when they seek information that they believe is the public’s right to know. But people don’t have to be employed by the media to use those laws to find out what government’s doing on all levels.
Oh, yes, many elected officials and perhaps even more bureaucrats will try to reject the request, to intimidate or even usher requesters out of their offices but, by understanding those three laws and being persistent in the pursuit of information, the challenges can be overcome. On page B1 of today’s Times-News we run down what rights citizens have to public records and meetings as part of Sunshine Week. We do so in order to stimulate and empower citizens to take an active role in watching the machinations of government.