8 The Transcript
February 27, 2014
opinions / yours and ours
Support ‘right to know’ in challenging times The latest developments in digital communications were discussed at length at the Colorado Press Association annual convention Feb. 21 in Denver. While expanding modes of obtaining news continue in an extended renaissance period, it appears while more and more information is literally at hand, the information so important to the public’s right to know is not flowing so freely. One discussion led by experts in media law focused on current challenges to obtain public records from government entities. Journalists’ heads nodded to comments that the cost of obtaining documents often remains a barrier. Heads nodded that information is sometimes be-
our view ing held back based on how the provider thinks the media may present it —such as putting it online — while the public’s right to know should not be limited by who wants it and how it may be used. And heads nodded when media experts said the state appellate courts are no longer on “our” side — meaning specifically the media — thwarting our role to obtain information and be a watchdog on government.
The whys of the present climate can be contemplated, but we agree with the general notion that the impact of 9/11 turned tides to tightening of information to media and compromising privacy of the public. We profess media is not so beloved by the masses, but when we write informative stories, we know our work is valued. For this reason, we agree with the notion that the work of maintaining strong open records laws and the public’s right to know may soon involve more effort from the public itself, perhaps even in the form of a public initiative on the ballot someday. We have editorialized often about the importance of the First Amendment
and the public’s right to know, so today we share a pitch for you to take a look at a relatively new nonprofit group in Colorado called the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition. The organization wants to serve the media and, in addition, emphasized it wants to serve those in the general public facing challenges obtaining information. Please visit the FOIC website, which has been online less than a year. Yes, full participation involves a modest membership fee, but we strongly commend the work the coalition is doing at this early stage. Take a moment to think about the work we do and the information you need while viewing the content at coloradofoic.org.
question of the week
What is your go-to song for when you want to get in the “zone?” People walking around downtown Golden were asked what song gets them pumped up.
“Back in Black by AC/DC” Katrina Woods, New York
“Birdland by Weather Report” Norton Ewart, Denver
“Thrift Shop by Macklemore” Brian Fairclough, New York
“Orinoco Flow (by Enya)” Carolyn Denny, Highlands Ranch
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Picking (on) teams Boy, the run up to the Super Bowl sure was exciting this year, wasn’t it? Of course, the game was, um, shall we say ... disappointing (read: a fiasco, an embarrassment). But that doesn’t change what happened in the days running up to it. The whole city was in the spirit: orange shirts, downtown buildings lit up in blue and orange, special programs on radio and television. The Broncos’ success created a sense of community around here. We were all “on the team.” But sometimes, “team” gets out of hand. Sometimes, we stop looking at what’s actually going on around us and dig in our heels to be “with our team.” As much as I value loyalty, life is not a game; important things happen in the real world, and the consequences are a lot more serious than having to exchange strange gifts with the mayor of the “other team.” The new Jefferson County school board has shown a penchant for sending people off to their team corners. A couple weeks ago I wrote a column that was critical of the board, though, normally, we might be on the same team. Or, at least, in the same farm system. And, boy, did I hear about it from “my” teammates. Even though my criticisms were more about politics than policy, I was still taken to task for what, in older days, would be called “heresy.” Luckily for me, it’s been mostly respectful, so, while I had lengthy conversations about the subject, it never got personal Not so, the new school board. People from “the other team,” the ones that were so ill-behaved at the Saturday morning board meeting, immediately took to the Internet to spread innuendo and deception. “Follow the money,” is how they couch their attempts to delegitimize the board’s election. Which is, of course, silly — every prior board got elected by being well-funded, too (usually by the teachers union, whose buck normally lets them pick who sits across from them at the negotiating table). But the attacks on this team go beyond that. A prominent member of the PTA has recently made jokes on a public account
about gun violence toward this board. One of those internet sites I was talking about responded to a commenter with an ominous “Your turn is coming.” Now, do I expect to see a bunch of PTA moms marching on the school board meeting with guns a-blazin’? Of course not. Pitchforks and torches is more the tone of this debate. But you do know, don’t you, that if it had been the other team doing that, people would be tearing down the Administration Building by the rafters. What all of this faux drama does, unfortunately, is take the focus far from where it should be: legitimate debates about the best, most cost-efficient way to maximize students’ potential. Yeah, the two sides have very different views on that. But, there may be common ground between the two sides, or better: a creative new way to attack the differences that lets everybody have their turn at bat. But that won’t be found in an “our team/their team” argument. And, unfortunately, when everybody plays this as if it were just a game, then the people who really lose are the students and the taxpayers. If only we could all take our cues from the Broncos on this one, too. Did you notice, how after the “us” vs. “them” part was over, a bunch of us’es and them’s gathered at midfield for a prayer? There are more important things than the games we play. Michael Alcorn is a music teacher and fitness instructor who lives in Arvada with his wife and three children. He graduated from Alameda High School and the University of Colorado-Boulder.