By Jim Pumarlo

Special to the Forum

Newspapers at their foundation provide a living history of their communities. The reports necessarily include a mixture of good news and bad news.

To no surprise, gathering and reporting the good news comes rather easily and is readily volunteered by the sources. First responders are commended for their swift response to saving a life. The school district applauds the academic and athletic achievements of graduating seniors. A local manufacturer is honored for setting a safety record for consecutive days without a workplace accident.

In contrast, gathering and reporting bad news can be challenging. Stories likely go unreported without some digging. A public safety director is quietly reprimanded after taking a pleasure ride on the city’s water patrol boat. A superintendent refuses to acknowledge the recommendation to close a school building until formal school board action. A worker loses fingers in an industrial accident.

I encourage Minnesotans to embrace and celebrate the efforts of newspapers to pursue and deliver information relevant to their communities during Sunshine Week, March 16-22. The observance is a nonpartisan collaboration among groups in the journalism, civic, education, government and private sectors that shines a light on the importance of public records and open government.

In a nutshell, sharing unwelcome news up front takes a giant step toward quelling the rumor mill. Those who are forthcoming with circumstances typically see repercussions minimized.

Newspapers rightfully stand firmly on the letter of the law when seeking access to public information and meetings. Even more important, those hesitant to share what they perceive as unflattering news should consider two other points.

First, think carefully about the spirit of openness – no matter what the law dictates. Public officials should place themselves in the position of friends and neighbors seeking answers from City Hall. Would they be satisfied with “no comment”?

Second, recognize the value of setting benchmarks for community conversation. Meeting in secret or withholding information only fuels rumors. If gossip has reached the newspaper, those affected can rest assured it has circulated broadly, especially fueled by social media. At minimum, hearsay exaggerates the facts. At worst, the whispers promote blatant falsehoods.

The opportunity to deliver facts straight from the source is one of the strongest arguments to share information. Citizens still may dismiss statements as a “company line,” but parameters have been set for community discussion.

The premise of openness should be embraced in the private sector as well. Companies and individuals are not subject to the same laws as public bodies, but they ought to be aware that their news is equally important to the community and often travels more quickly than a city council vote.

Conflicts over the public’s right to know often focus on a specific meeting or particular document. Newsmakers also should be reminded of the value of everyday openness.

I vividly recall the “news” passed along by my photographer when I sat behind the editor’s desk. Word had reached his son’s elementary school that a teacher at the middle school had lost all his fingers in a lab experiment. We promptly tracked a story for that day’s edition. The superintendent set the record straight. The teacher lost a fingertip and all was handled very calmly and professionally.

Our first inquiry, however, went to the school principal. She refused comment, charging us with sensationalism. A few minutes later she called and canceled her newspaper subscription without even seeing our report. I’ll stand by our decision to pursue and publish the story. I’m certain we prevented a lot of misinformed dinner talk that evening.

We all can likely relate the to spirit of openness as youths when we tried to hide bad behavior from our parents. The truth inevitably surfaced, and we bore the brunt of punishment. Lesson: Be up front.

During Sunshine Week, we pay tribute to the millions of readers who invite newspapers into their homes each day. I speak firsthand from my years sitting behind the editor’s desk. We enjoy the relationships we’ve made, and we hope our readers do, too.

– Jim Pumarlo is a member of the Minnesota Newspaper Association. He is a former editor of the Red Wing Republican Eagle and former board member of the Minnesota News Media Institute. He can be reached at jim@pumarlo.com.