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Pennsylvania Sunshine Week 2021: A virtual discussion of transparency in the Keystone State
March 16, 2021 @ 11:00 am - 12:30 pm
Join the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and Pennsylvania Freedom of Information Coalition on Tuesday, March 16, 2021, for a virtual discussion of transparency in the Keystone State in celebration of Sunshine Week.
The event will bring together journalists, media law attorneys, researchers and transparency advocates to talk about the challenges and successes of Pennsylvania’s Right to Know Law and Sunshine Act, as well as tips for using the federal Freedom of Information Act.
Attendees will come away with a better understanding of the current state of government transparency in Pennsylvania, as well as how to employ the Right to Know Law and Sunshine Act to further their reporting and public access to information, especially in light of safety measures and other restrictions that are in effect due to the pandemic.
Join the discussion, moderated by Paula Knudsen Burke, the Reporters Committee’s Local Legal Initiative attorney in Pennsylvania, to hear from:
11:00 am – Welcome
• Katie Townsend, Legal Director, RCFP
• Susan Schwartz, President, PaFOIC
11:05 am – Using the Right to Know Law: Tips and lessons learned
• Marissa Bluestine, Assistant Director, Quattrone Center for the Fair Administration of Justice at the University of Pennsylvania Law School
• Juliette Rihl, Mental health reporter, PublicSource
• Hurubie Meko, Data and visualizations reporter, LNP | LancasterOnline
• Liz Evans Scolforo, Senior crime reporter, The York Dispatch
• Angela Couloumbis, Reporter, SpotlightPA
11:35 am – The Sunshine Act: Challenges and successes
• Melissa Melewsky, Media law counsel, Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association
• Michelle Grove, Member, PaFOIC
• Shane Fitzgerald, Executive Editor, Bucks County Courier Times
• Stacy Wolford, Managing Editor, Mon Valley Independent
12:05 pm – FOIA Quick Tips
• Gunita Singh, Legal Fellow, RCFP
This Pennsylvania Sunshine Week 2021 virtual celebration is produced in partnership with the Facebook Journalism Project.