tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30130444.post5697976793348989750..comments2024-02-16T09:00:32.845-06:00Comments on FromDC2Iowa: UI Held Hostage Day 416 - March 13Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30130444.post-13177448453511711272007-03-13T15:46:00.000-05:002007-03-13T15:46:00.000-05:00Re: Open RecordsI heard you on the radio this morn...Re: Open Records<BR/><BR/>I heard you on the radio this morning regarding the open meetings/records law.<BR/><BR/>I found the arguments by the newspapers ludicrous regarding public records on the Internet. They can be easily refuted one by one.<BR/><BR/>I) <I>It's hard for the Public to find the information on the Internet.</I> Wrong. Just wrong. A simple Google search will reveal most every local or state jurisdictions homepage all of which would have the data easily linked. <BR/><BR/>II) <I>The Public has less access to the Internet than newspapers.</I> Virtually all public libraries now have internet service along with maintaining a newspaper collection. To get a personal copy of a newspaper, people must pay for the newspaper, which is no different than paying for internet access.<BR/><BR/>III) <I>The Public wants to be able to get a hard copy.</I> If stored on a website, any member of the public could download or print the document at their leisure. Nothing prevents anyone from making a hard copy.<BR/><BR/>When you strip away to the newspapers interest, it is a purely economic one. However it is better public relations to pursue these mandatory notices as "Open Government for the Public" rather than discuss your potential revenue loss. Isn't the public better served by less public spending in this area no matter the revenue loss to newspapers? Especially to a multi-national media company like Gannett which owns the Press Citizen and Register and is based in Virginia and has shareholder owners all over the world.<BR/><BR/>I don't see the newspapers stepping up and disclosing their revenue from these types of notices.<BR/><BR/>The Web in fact offers MORE records access than newspapers if for no other reason than the ability to store information for browsing rather than issue by issue newspapers that are archieved and therefore less accessible to the person at home.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com