Sunshine Week summit explores D.C. government transparency on Tuesday

Celebrating Sunshine Week 2015, the National Press Club's Freedom of the Press Committee will join with the D.C. Open Government Coalition to present the fourth annual "D.C. Open Government Summit" on March 17 from 6 to 8:30pm in the National Press Club's First Amendment Lounge.

The event is also co-sponsored by the Society of Professional Journalists' D.C. Professional Chapter.

The D.C. Open Government Summit will focus on the state of government transparency in the District of Columbia. The event will open with remarks on open government priorities for the Bowser Administration, and will include a look at how open government data is helping D.C. organizations create tools and websites to enhance information sharing with the public. Attendees will be invited to weigh in with their thoughts on these and other topics.

The event is open and free to all, but pre-registration is requested. A reception will follow the program.

The D.C. Open Government Coalition, which works to enhance the public's access to government information and ensure the transparency in the D.C. government, is once again organizing this event as part of the national "Sunshine Week" activities. Sunshine Week is a non-partisan, non-profit initiative celebrated in mid-March each year to coincide with James Madison's birthday on March 16 as a means of promoting a dialogue on the importance of open government and freedom of information. To learn more, visit www.sunshineweek.org.

The National Press Club, located at 529 14th St. N.W., is the world's leading professional organization for journalists and works to advance press freedom and open government in the United States and globally.