The Indiana Publisher

based in St. Louis, know it's an important story that jour- nalists want to hear – and agreed to come. Two concurrent sessions will discuss access to public records. In one session, watchdogs at The Chronicle-Tribune (Marion) will tell their story of trying to track down financial records of local government. In their quest, Karla Bowsher uncovered a city government unwill- ing or unable to make basic fiduciary public records available, according to her editor, David Penticuff. After months of asking, the jour- nalists finally received sig- nificant documents. A series of stories that followed made the community aware of the city's ducking accountability. Former Steuben County auditor Pam Coleman, who now works for a government- consulting firm, will join Bowsher and Penticuff to help reporters know which financial records to request. Indiana Public Access Counselor Luke Britt and HSPA Executive Director and General Counsel Steve Key will present a more gen- eral session on transparency in government. Always a popular session at the semi- nar, the two advocates for openness will allow time for audience questions. Nancy Comiskey, a lec- turer in The Media School at Indiana University – Bloomington, will add a new twist to another favorite session at the seminar. The accomplished feature writer and former editor at The Indianapolis Star and The Indianapolis News will dis- cuss what journalists can learn from writers of fiction. She calls the presenta- tion Literature in a Hurry. Comiskey's sessions repeat- edly earned the high- est marks on previous Newsroom Seminar evalua- tions. Three journalists will dis- cuss digital strategies they use successfully at their newspapers to attract local, regional – even national – readers of all ages to their sites. Kara Hackett, social media writer and blogger at The Journal Gazette (Fort Wayne); Sarah Morin, com- munity engagement and digital editor at The Herald- Times (Bloomington); and Ryan Martin, digital content director at The Elkhart Truth; add content to pro- vide the useful and credible information online readers crave. And finally, due to almost perfect evaluations last year, photographers will again critique photos entered in the 2013 Better Newspaper Contest. Denny Simmons, 2013 Better Newspaper Contest Photo of the Year award winner from the Evansville Courier & Press, will join two Newsroom Seminar Committee members in the session. Mike Fender, lead visual journalist with The Indianapolis Star, and Darron Cummings, staff photographer for The Associated Press, will lead the interactive session designed to offer photo ideas. Back by popular demand, editors and photojournal- ists on the seminar com- mittee will offer individual critique sessions for report- ers and photographers who pre-register. These offer an opportunity to hear evalua- tions from someone on the outside who does not see your work every day. A 15-minute session costs $10 with proceeds going toward seminar expenses. Those interested must send sam- ples for review to sgoldsby@ hspa.com. The early bird rates end Nov. 14 with final registra- tion due by Nov. 26. All rooms must be re - served by Nov. 21 to receive the HSPA Founda tion dis- count of $109. For more details and online registration, visit www.HSPAfoundation.org and click Events or call (317) 803-4772. Page 8 November 13, 2014 SEMINAR Continued from Page 1 I f you read comments from Westfield, Indiana, city officials concerning their secret committee meetings, you'll understand why news- papers must continually push public agencies to follow the state's Open Door Law. In a recent story in The Indianapolis Star, Westfield officials acknowledge the council's finance committee has been meeting privately to discuss details of a controver- sial funding plan for a $25 million soccer arena. Westfield City Attorney Brian Zaiger told reporter Chris Sikich that the com- mittee doesn't fall under the scope of the statute because the council didn't formally create it, it doesn't include a majority of council members, and it takes no final actions. None of those arguments hold water. The statute includes com- mittees appointed directly by the governing body or its pre- siding officer. Is Zaiger saying an outside entity created the finance committee? Even if the council created a committee that included no council members, it would still be subject to the Open Door Law requirements for notice and open meetings. And the attorney also missed the definition of "offi- cial action" that can trigger a meeting as defined by law. Official action includes: receiving information, delib- erating, making recommen- dations, establishing policy, making decisions or taking final actions (votes). Westfield Mayor Andy Cook and City Council President Jim Ake said the meetings aren't really secret because anyone who showed up would be allowed to sit and listen. But Westfield gives no notice of the finance com- mittee meetings as required under the Open Door Law. Cook suggested that citi- zens could learn of the com- mittee meetings by making Access to Public Records Act requests of the personal cal- endars of the elected council members. Really? Westfield residents should be required to request records on a regular basis to learn when a council commit- tee that formulates the city budget plans to hold a meet- ing? I suggest Cook take a look at the first section of the Open Door Law, specifically where it says official action of public agencies should be conducted in the open so Hoosiers may be fully informed. Ake's comment on the situ- ation I'm sure represents the view of many public officials across the state. "We've never been asked to open them," he told The Star. "That's just the way it's always been." I believe him. I doubt there was malice involved in the secret meetings or a conspir- acy to keep Westfield citizens in the dark. The result of that rational, though, is that recommenda- tions are formulated without any public awareness until it's too late for citizens to voice their concerns or to have a fair chance of modify- ing the plan of action. I'd be a richer man if I had a dollar for every time I've heard an attorney say a meet- ing wasn't a meeting because no vote was taken or an elected official ask why closed meetings are a problem since that's the way it's always been done. Newspaper editors and reporters would do well to stay on the lookout for gov- erning bodies that don't seem to be on the up-and-up with publicizing committee and other public meetings. Steve Key is executive director and general counsel for HSPA. Key Points By Steve Key Committees need transparency too CALL US TODAY For a quote on your next printing job. FULL SERVICE PRINTING, BINDERY & MAILING Your Indiana printing company O n e f a m i l y - 1 4 0 y e a r s HNEprinting.com Commercial Web & Sheetfed Printing Personalized Customer Service Mailing & Fulfillment Resources // Quick Turnaround Two Central Indiana Production Facilities 812-342-1056 3330 W. International Ct, Columbus 317-462-5528 22 W. New Road, Greenfield bstone@hneprinting.com Political advertising resources from HSPA Increase sales to political advertising clients with HSPA's free customizable brochure, PowerPoint document, handout and more. Download materials at hspa.com/2014political

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