Teen loses defamation suit against Boston Magazine

A teenager whose photograph appeared in a Boston Magazine story entitled "The Mating Habits of the Suburban High School Teenager" has lost her defamation suit against the magazine, according to Media Law Prof Blog.

Round-up of Sunshine Week coverage in Mass. papers

With Sunshine Week now over, I offer my round-up of coverage from Massachusetts newspapers. Most certainly, this is incomplete, compiled primarily from what I found online and what others pointed out to me. If you know of other pieces, please let me know.

Particularly impressive was the coverage by the Metrowest Daily News, with multiple reports every day of the week.

March 13

• Metrowest Daily News: Publishers Propose Legislation
• Metrowest Daily News: It's not too hard to get the scoop on neighbors
• Metrowest Daily News: What have they got to hide?
• Metrowest Daily News: Rules shed light on government
• Metrowest Daily News: Seeking out the truth
• Metrowest Daily News: Open meeting law sanctions
• Metrowest Daily News: Spitz: Shopping a trial
• Metrowest Daily News: Editorial: Let sunshine cleanse our governments
• Metrowest Daily News: Lodge: Let the sun shine in
• The Republican: Larry McDermott: Focusing on the Public's Right to Know
• Worcester Telegram: Making Government More 'Open': Bills Promote the Public's Right to Know
• Worcester Telegram: Sunshine Governance
• Worcester Telegram: Poll: Seven out of 10 Americans Worry About Government Secrecy
• Worcester Telegram: T&G Appeals Blackout of Information in Complaints
• Sun Chronicle: Editorial: Let Sun Shine on Government
• Eagle Tribune: Bill Ketter: The Press, the Public and the Challenges to Open Government
• Cape Cod Times: Review Sees Government Tightening Information Loop
• Cape Cod Times: Privacy Act Creates Confusion
  

March 14

• Metrowest Daily News: Information valuable to a suburban homebuyer
• Metrowest Daily News: Local governments sometimes go out of their way to avoid explaining decisions
• Metrowest Daily News: Dwinell: Schools learn about public records law
• Fitchburg Sentinel: Let the sun shine in
• Milford Daily News: Challenges to local meetings have yielded few violations, say DAs
  

March 15

• Metrowest Daily News: Clerks speak up on your right to records
• Metrowest Daily News: Federal government releasing less information since '98

March 16

• Metrowest Daily News: Find out where your town's sex offenders live
• Metrowest Daily News: Open Meeting does not apply to lawmakers
  

March 17

• Metrowest Daily News: From the FOIA files
• Metrowest Daily News: Keeping Track of FOIA requests
• Metrowest Daily News: Celebrating our freedoms
• Cambridge Chronicle: Sun shines on public records
• Somerville Journal: Public records laws get use by activists in Somerville
• Needham Times: Public records available to everyone
• Wayland Town Crier: Clerks promote right to records
• Wellesley Townsman: Editorial: Consistency in access to records
• Wellesley Townsman: Getting meeting minutes can take time
• Beverly Citizen: Editorial: Sunny side up
• West Roxbury & Roslindale Transcript: Publishers propose legislation
• West Roxbury & Roslindale Transcript: Law keeps meetings open for all
• The Beacon: E-mail is a boon and a crutch
  

March 18

• Metrowest Daily News: Public records laws a mixed bag in R.I.
• Metrowest Daily News: Survey yields consistent results: Little difficulty found in retrieving arrest logs
• Daily News Transcript: Access to project data unimpaired
• Shirley Oracle: National Sunshine Week: Shedding light on the public's right to know
• The Cape Codder: In the public view
• The Republican: Six bills seek overhaul of state law

Bills seek overhaul of state law

The Springfield Republican today reported on the bills filed by the Massachusetts Newspaper Publishers Association to toughen the enforcement provisions of the state's open meetings laws. I am among the sources interviewed for the story, which was written by reporters Dan Ring and Buffy Spencer.

Here is an excerpt:

"State and municipal officials would face fines if they intentionally violate the state's Open Meeting Law, according to legislation pending on Beacon Hill.

"Opponents said the legislation would discourage people from serving in government and would clog the courts with more lawsuits. Supporters said the bills are needed to toughen enforcement of the law.

"Six bills to overhaul the law were filed by Rep. Arthur J. Broadhurst, D-Methuen, at the request of the Massachusetts Newspaper Publishers Association."

Read more.

New England newspaper group announces First Amendment awards

I attended the annual meeting today of the New England Newspaper Association, where NENA announced the winners of the first Morley L. Piper First Amendment Award, named for NENA's longtime executive director. The winners were The Republican of Springfield and The Providence Journal. NENA's awards committee decided last year to establish the annual award to highlight the work that newspapers do in educating and upholding the First Amendment.

For more on the awards, read this AP report.

Blogshine Sunday: support access to government information

This Sunday, news organizations across America will participate in Sunshine Sunday -- kick off to Sunshine Week -- by running stories supporting access to government information. Not wanting bloggers to be excluded, FreeCulture.org is organizing Blogshine Sunday, to encourgage bloggers across the U.S. and beyond to write about the need for open government in the digital age.

You can join Blogshine Sunday by writing in your blog about open government and how it relates to you. The Blogshine Sunday blog will aggregate and link to the postings. (Go to the site for instructions on how to link your posting.)

Cape Cod Times wins access to sheriff's records

The Supreme Judicial Court yesterday ruled that Barnstable County Sheriff James Cummings must provide to the Cape Cod Times the identities of his reserve deputy sheriffs, whose names he has concealed for two years.

The SJC said that the names are public records under G.L. c. 66, s. 10, and must be made available for examination and inspection.

The sheriff had contended that the records were private because the reserve deputies have no law enforcement duties and also that the records belonged to the private Barnstable County Sheriffs Association.

• Cape Cod Times report: Sheriff Must Give Times Names of Reserves.
• Another: Ruling Seen as Key to Public Access.
• AP: Cape Cod Times Scores Ruling in Sheriff's Records Case
• Here is the SJC's decision: Cape Cod Times v. Sheriff of Barnstable County.

Judge says bloggers can be forced to reveal sources

In a case with implications for the freedom to blog, a San Jose judge tentatively ruled yesterday that Apple Computer can force three online publishers to surrender the names of confidential sources who disclosed information about the company's upcoming products, reports The Mercury News.

Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge James Kleinberg refused to extend to the Web sites protection either under California's shield law or under the First Amendment.

Kleinberg offered no explanation for the preliminary ruling. He will hear arguments today from Apple's attorneys and the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a San Francisco digital rights group representing two of the three Web sites Apple subpoenaed -- Apple Insider and PowerPage.

EFF has more information about the case here.