Vigilance Needed For Government To Be Transparent

This week media outlets all over the country have been trumpeting the importance of transparent government and the necessity of accessible government records. Along with these admonishments, we've cited notorious examples of governmental secrecy that worked against the public good; and we've given examples where determined journalists wrenched information from the claws of the corrupt.

While the press in the United States enjoys a good standard of access and freedom, we're cognizant that our nation is not the exemplar of openness we might like to believe. In fact, the most recent World Press Freedom Index (https://rsf.org/index2014/en-index2014.php ) compiled by the organization Reporters Without Borders places the United States in 46th place relative to other nations.

A given nation's WPFI ranking is based on a score calculated from six indicators:

• Pluralism -- a measure of the degree to which a variety of opinions are represented;

• Media independence -- a measure of the degree to which the media are able to function independently of the state.

• Environment and self-censorship -- measures the environment in which journalists work.

• Legislative framework -- measures the quality of the legislative framework and measures its effectiveness.

• Transparency -- Measures the transparency of the institutions and procedures that affect the production of news and information.

• Infrastructure - Measures the quality of the infrastructure that supports the production of news and information.

Here in the land of James Madison, Thomas Paine and Benjamin Franklin, we'd like to think our score would top the list in all areas, but the data suggest otherwise. According to the WPFI, we lag behind places like Latvia, Cypress and Guyana. Fortunately, we are well ahead of countries like North Korea, Iran and Saudi Arabia.

The nations that perennially top the list, Finland, Norway and the Netherlands, share several attributes. As the WPFI report states, "Their success rests on solid constitutional and legal foundations, which in turn are based on a real culture of individual freedoms, a culture that is more integrated than in southern Europe."

Even in those places with exemplary press freedom, all is not wine and roses. With particular regard to Finland (atop the index since 2008) the WPFI concludes, "Finland, paradoxically evinces two obstacles to the development of a benign environment for freedom of information: defamation is punishable by imprisonment in certain circumstances, and just three companies own virtually almost all the national media."

With regard to the concentration of ownership, this is an issue U.S. journalists also confront. Just as hyper-concentration of ownership in other sectors has been bad for the American economy and the American people, so too is it perilous for the unfettered dissemination of information.

While it might be comforting to think that those things that are objectively most important are the ones that will be given the most press coverage, that belief is to a certain extent naïve. All media presentations are driven in part by a subjective decision process and a media outlet's organizational priorities.

Reporters, editors and publishers must meet several goals each time the presses roll. Stories must be in the public interest. They must be well-researched. They must be engagingly told. Lastly -- and of increasing importance these days -- stories must promote continued consumption of the media product.

While the degree of press freedom we enjoy in the United States is laudable, reports such as the WPFI remind us that work remains to be done. Sunshine Week must continue to be observed; and all involved must be vigilant.

-- Pine Bluff Commercial,

in recognition of Sunshine Week.