'Sunshine Week' Panel to Unlock Inaccessible Government Data

The National Press Club and a coalition of open government groups are joining hands during Sunshine Week to cosponsor a form discussing how to make government data truly transparent.

The panel discussion is titled, "Partly Cloudy: Why 'Public Information' Doesn't Always = Accessible Information." It's being held at the Club on March 18 during a week that spotlights the importance of open government. Admission is free but registration is required. Click here to register.

Although often with good intentions, the government sometimes hinders access to valuable public information by posting it online in proprietary and other closed formats (such as PDFs) that make analysis problematic. Panelists from the Sunlight Foundation, USA Today, ProPublica and the Data Transparency Coalition will discuss how digitizing government data does not always improve its accessibility. And they’ll provide insights on how to overcome poor disclosure practices.

The Club's Press Freedom Committee is partnering on the event with the Sunlight Foundation, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), OpentheGovernment.org, ProPublica, the Reporters Committee for Freedom the Press and the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC).

Courtesy of these sponsors, a cash bar will be open and appetizers will be served after the panel.

What: "Partly Cloudy: Why 'Public Information' Doesn't Always = Accessible Information," a Sunshine Week panel and mixer (cash bar)

When: Tuesday, March 18, 2014 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Where: National Press Club, Holeman Lounge

Who:


  • John M. Donnelly, National Press Club

  • Kathy Kiely, Sunlight Foundation

  • Kaitlin Devine, Sunlight Foundation

  • Hudson Hollister, Data Transparency Coalition

  • Jeff Larson, ProPublica

  • Paul Singer, USA Today

For more information on this event, please contact:
John M. Donnelly, [email protected]; 202-746-6020