State Fair meeting was affront to open government
Randy Evans, executive directorIowa Freedom of Information Council The decision last week to cancel the Iowa State Fair was a reminder of the seriousness of coronavirus and the consequences of many people’s anxiety about returning to activities that normally are an important part of Iowa life. But the State Fair’s decision also illuminated an embarrassing…
Read MoreNAM’s partners with Metro Creative Graphics to deliver a series of promotional messages
The following message was sent to NAM Members on Tuesday. All of our member newspapers are gearing up for the reopening of businesses shut down by the pandemic since March. It’s a great time to show the POWER OF NEWSPAPERS that are, we would all agree, the best investment an advertiser can make. NAM’s partnership…
Read MoreQ&A from the Iowa Public Information Board – May 2020
Did you know that the Iowa Public Information Board staff is available to assist you with questions or problems involving open meetings and public records in Iowa? During the month of May 2020, 58 contacts were made with the Iowa Public Information Board office. Question: Who is the custodian of public records? How do…
Read MorePublic needs to see for itself how police act
Randy Evans, Executive DirectorIowa Freedom of Information Council There’s a quiz today. How would the tragic death of George Floyd have been perceived if the encounter occurred on a deserted side street in the middle of the night, rather than on a busy street in a business area in broad daylight? How would our understanding…
Read MoreMore Iowa newsrooms earn Facebook journalism grants
Facebook has announced more than 200 news organizations will receive nearly $16 million in grants through the Facebook Journalism Project’s relief fund for local news. Three Iowa newspapers in Carroll, Cedar Rapids and Des Moines in total received over $200,000 in grants. Cedar Rapids Gazette and Iowa Starting Line were announced as recipients during the…
Read MoreUNI Classes Seeking Clients for Student Work
Classes seeking clientsHas your organization needed to shift its publications or develop new modes of communication? UNI courses focusing on workplace communication are seeking individual and organizational clients who wish to have publications created. Examples include but are not limited to newsletters, brochures, flyers, proposals, report documents, websites and exhibition storyboards. Communication topics can include…
Read MoreCoronavirus secrecy erodes the public’s confidence
Randy Evans, Executive DirectorIowa Freedom of Information Council The relationship between government and the governed is a delicate arrangement, even in the best of times. Government wants us to pay our taxes. It wants us to obey its laws and directives. Citizens, in turn, expect certain things from government, things like good schools, parks, law…
Read MoreIdeas worth sharing: Working together to deliver the news
In the first week of state-mandated closures of restaurants and other businesses in Iowa, The News in Kalona launched an advertising campaign to help local businesses let customers know what is open and what is closed. Soon after sending an email announcing the campaign, Publisher Jim Johnson received a call from Ryan Schlabaugh, the Kalona…
Read MoreReporters Committee for Freedom of the Press offers HIPAA guidebook
Medical privacy laws can confuse the most savvy journalist and give public officials a reason not to disclose information that should be provided to the public under state open records laws. During the pandemic, a new wave of concerns about the application of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) are coming from NNA…
Read MoreIdeas worth sharing: Times Citizen Communications builds creative revenue
Times Citizen Communication has come up with a creative way to get community businesses involved with supporting their local newspaper. The paper sold four weeks of different double truck coloring pages. The pages reflect messages of hope and bring people together for a timeless activity. If your newspaper has come up with a creative way…
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