National Press Club Journalism Institute hosts discussion on global government transparency, 6:30 pm March 14

In honor of Sunshine Week, the National Press Club’s Press Freedom Committee will host a panel discussion on March 14 to examine the status of government transparency laws around the world.

The event, which will take place from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m., will feature foreign journalists and policy experts who will analyze global and regional trends in journalists' and the general public's ability to receive timely access to government information as well as the difficulty of reporting in countries without freedom of information laws.

The cost of attendance is $5 for Club members and $10 for non-members. Tickets can be purchased online.

Confirmed panelists include:

Tanya Lokot, contributing editor for RuNet Echo at Global Voices, and researcher focusing on Ukraine and Russia;
Simegnish ‘Lily’ Yekoye, Ethiopian freelance journalist and National Endowment for Democracy fellow;
Tolga Tanis, Washington correspondent for Hurriyet Daily News;
Nathaniel Heller, civil society steering committee member for the Open Government Partnership;
Dr. Courtney Radsch, advocacy director at the Committee to Protect Journalists (moderator).

The discussion will be the first in a series of evening events during the week of March 14 organized by the National Press Club Journalism Institute and the Club’s Press Freedom Committee as part of annual Sunshine Week programming. Other events include a March 15 discussion on government transparency in the District of Columbia and a March 16 discussion of what is and is not working on the federal level with the Freedom of Information Act.

The National Press Club Journalism Institute is the non-profit affiliate of The National Press Club, the world’s leading professional organization for journalists. Through its Press Freedom Committee, the Institute promotes a transparent global society through an independent press.