We all have seen the call for there to be transparency in government and it’s a frequent promise from politicians seeking office, but all too often it is a promise forgotten once they are elected to office. The public never really considers this until it’s no longer there and once gone it’s very difficult, if not darn near impossible to get restored.
That’s why the media, especially community news media outlets such as the one you’re reading, is very important.
One of the first bills introduced during the current session of the Kentucky General Assembly, was sponsored by Rep. Jennifer Decker of Shelby County. House Bill 71 would allow all cities, counties, school districts and other public agencies to post their notices on a government website, instead of the newspaper. Some things to consider:
Historically, public notices have been published in newspapers because of the ease of accessibility to the public. Newspapers are essentially the last communication serving the entire community. Websites can be cumbersome to navigate, information may not be easily found, and the possibility of the information being altered once posted.
Newspapers are typically locally oriented, and they are dependable. The public can rely upon a regular publication schedule, and when a public notice is placed into a newspaper, the advertisers – whether a government or private entity – can count on a specific day of publication. Additionally, the public can rest assured that the information is correct and unaltered.
Newspapers have the date of publication fixed in print and distributed through inexpensive copies in such a manner that judges, lawyers, and others can determine quickly and conclusively whether a public notice was given in accordance with the law.
Newspapers are permanently archived and easily accessible, if necessary, days, weeks, months and even years beyond publication. You can find archived copies of the Ledger Independent at the Kentucky Gateway Museum Center. Websites lack the archival standards and resources of a newspaper. Public notices published digitally or even on TV are essentially written on the air and are not easily retrieved.
Public notices in The Ledger Independent, like many other newspapers within the commonwealth, are already placed on the kypublicnotice.com website, as well as in their printed editions.
If each county and local government, in addition to state and local agencies and schools are required to post their own public notices, citizens will have a vast number of websites to go through to find what they are looking for.
Many lawmakers are touting this as a potential “money saver” for the local, county, and state governments and agencies, without giving much thought to the cost of posting and maintaining a web presence for public notices. Several believe newspapers are fighting this because of the revenue these ads generate. Yes, there is revenue at stake, however this issue is much deeper and more important than a newspaper’s bottom line. If HB 71 is passed, transparency for the public will be closer to disappearing.
