Although the N.C. General Assembly’s legislative session is just underway, some of the usual suspects are trying to draft a local bill removing the requirement to publish public notices in newspapers.
That would be a bad move for openness and transparency in state government.
The primary sponsors – state Reps Harry Warren of Rowan and Jay Adams of Catawba – are recruiting members to join a local bill.
Thankfully, Cherokee, Clay and Graham counties are represented by state Rep. Karl Gillespie and state Sen. Kevin Corbin (both R-Franklin), who have vowed to fight any restrictions on the public’s right to know.
What our representatives realize is reaching people, especially those who live in more rural counties, requires local newspapers. Here are some facts the N.C. Press Association compiled in December:
* Newspapers reach 6.6 million North Carolina adults, 60 percent reached by print products alone. Eight out of 10 adults have read a newspaper product in both print and digital in the last 30 days.
* Seven out of 10 adults read public notices in their local newspaper.
* 68 percent say yes, local government should be required to publish notices in a newspaper.
* 86 percent see newspapers as a trusted source for public notices.
All public notices are also placed on newspaper websites, so the online access those sponsors claim they want is already being provided. That makes this nothing more than another misguided attempt to end advertising public notices in newspapers, several hampering the public’s ability to know what’s going on as well as journalists’ ability to cover local events.
Journalists have no more rights than average citizens, so any attempt to curtail what newspapers do is also a direct affront to the public.
Please let your representatives know that we all deserve legislators who will fight for information to be made public, not look for ways to keep it hidden.