FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT Justin Silverman | 774.244.2365 | justin@nefac.org
The New England First Amendment Coalition will help commence the 21st annual Open Government Summit on July 19, providing remarks on the value of transparency and the importance of the public’s right to know.
The summit, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Roger Williams University Law School, will feature presentations on the Access to Public Records Act and the Open Meetings Act. The Office of the Attorney General provides the summit each year. Those who attend the public event are typically municipal or state employees, and attorneys.
“We’re very excited to participate in this year’s summit,” said Justin Silverman, NEFAC’s executive director. “It’s important for those at the event to hear our perspective and to be reminded why government transparency is needed in every Rhode Island community.”
Speaking on behalf of NEFAC will be:
KAREN BORDELEAU | Bordeleau is president of NEFAC and the former executive editor of The Providence Journal. An award-winning journalist, Bordeleau is on the journalism faculty at Emerson College in Boston and at the Cronkite School at Arizona State University.
EDWARD FITZPATRICK | Fitzpatrick is a member of NEFAC’s Board of Directors. He worked for 16 years at the Providence Journal, including eight years as the political columnist and five years as the courts reporter. Fitzpatrick now covers Rhode Island for The Boston Globe.
The summit can be viewed live by visiting www.riag.ri.gov or on-demand after its conclusion.
NEFAC is the region’s leading defender of the First Amendment and the public’s right to know about government. The coalition is one of Rhode Island’s most ardent advocates for open government and has been providing educational resources on public records and open meetings since 2006.
Most recently, NEFAC co-sponsored a Sunshine Week event in Providence, participated in a discussion about journalism at Brown University, and hosted community discussions on the First Amendment in Cranston and Providence.
NEFAC was formed in 2006 to advance and protect the Five Freedoms of the First Amendment, including the principle of the public’s right to know. We’re a broad-based organization of people who believe in the power of an informed democratic society. Our members include lawyers, journalists, historians, academics and private citizens.
Our coalition is funded through contributions made by those who value the First Amendment and who strive to keep government accountable. Please make a donation here.
Major Supporters of NEFAC include Hearst Connecticut Media Group, the Barr Foundation, The Boston Globe, WBUR and Boston University.