EDITORIAL: Public's business done best in the open

We won’t be alone in doing so either. We’ll be joined by hundreds of newspapers across the state.

Why?

It’s all part of the Indiana Open Door Law.

Aimed at keeping the public informed of what its government is doing, the law requires governmental agencies to notify the public of when meetings are to be held. Newspapers play a part in this process as well. That’s where the letters come in. We send the letters to let these governmental agencies know we want to inform our readers of their planned meetings.

It’s something newspapers do every year. It’s something we do with purpose and conviction.

It’s not something we do just to annoy or because we’re nosy. We do it for you, the reader and the taxpayer. Why? Because it’s your government, and you should know what it’s doing. If you want to break it down to the real nitty gritty, it’s your money they’re spending.

You, too, can play your part in local government. One way you can do that is by actually attending those public meetings.

The Indiana Open Door Law requires 48-hour notice before a governmental meeting. We have found many local governments and boards more-than-comply with the law. We annually receive the meeting dates for some agencies even before we send out the letters requesting such information.

We think they do this because they not only understand the letter of the Open Door Law, they understand the spirit of it as well. The law isn’t meant to be a “gotcha” set of requirements that pits media and governmental agencies against one another. Rather, it’s meant to lay the groundwork for a cohesive relationship that allows the public to come out as the winner.

So whether you receive the letter as a representative of the governmental agency or are reading the public notice in the paper, know we do this every year for all involved. We are at our best — journalists and government alike — when we conduct business out in the open.