Hoosier State Press Association - The Indiana Publisher
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/43294
Indiana The Volume 76, Issue 20 • September 29, 2011 Publisher Published alternate Thursdays INDIANA CIVIC HEALTH INDEX Historic Recorder digitized By The Indianapolis Recorder A digitization project of The Indian apolis Recorder and IUPUI's University Lib rary has put 106 years of black history online. Viewers can browse historic copies of the newspaper via the library's website. The full-text searchable archive of the African- American newspaper is available at ulib.iupui.edu/digitalscholarship/collections. The free resource makes more than 5,000 PHOTO BY CENTER ON CONGRESS AT INDIANA UNIVERSITY Former U.S. Rep. Lee Hamilton, director of the Center on Congress, left, and Indiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Randall Shepard, right, meet with Gov. Mitch Daniels on Sept. 14 at the Statehouse to discuss the findings of the Indiana Civic Health Index. The study reported that Indiana ranks 48th among states in voter turnout. Next steps for civic health: more information, education More civics education for adults and students is the remedy for Hoosiers' disap- pointing knowledge of the First Amendment and pres- ence in the voting booth, say organizers of the Indiana Civic Health Index. The recent study evaluated who participates in communi- ty activities such as voting and volunteerism and knowledge of rights guaran- teed by the U.S. Constitution. HSPA Foundation is among the index's sponsors who will take steps to improve civic involvement among Hoosiers, said Karen T. Braeckel, Foundation director. Former U.S. Rep. Lee Hamilton and Indiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Randall Shepard helped Former Indiana first lady Judy O'Bannon, right, talks with Steve Key, HSPA execu- tive director and general counsel, left, and Karen T. Braeckel, HSPA Foundation director, Sept. 14 during a reception in honor of the Indiana Civic Health Index. oversee the report. Among its conclusions: • The state ranked 21st in service club membership – which included school and religious groups – with a 36.2 percent participation rate. Mean while, 1.3 million See Civics, Page 2 The Indianapolis Recorder, June 8, 1968 issues of the community newspaper – dated from 1899 to 2005 and captured from the microfilm version of the weekly broadsheet – available through the Web. "We are absolutely excited about this project and really look forward to sharing it with the community," said Shannon Williams, president and general manager of The Indianapolis Recorder. "Through this revolutionary effort people have access to history literally at their fingertips. It's amazing!" See Recorder, Page 4 HSPA members will receive audits of entities in their areas HSPA will distribute cop- ies of state Board of Accounts audits to newspapers in coun- ties where audits were con- ducted. The agency is charged with auditing government units in Indiana. In the past, it issued releases concerning complet- ed audits to media personnel who cover the Statehouse. "It became clear that many newspapers were missing these potential news stories because they didn't have a presence in the Statehouse," said Steve Key, executive director and general counsel for HSPA. "The supervi- sors with the state Board of Accounts quickly agreed to work with us to get the audits in the hands of report- ers who cover the audited government entities." The Board of Accounts is now emailing HSPA copies of completed audits. HSPA, in turn, will email the audits to the editors of newspapers located in the same county as the audited public agency. When audits turn up dis- crepancies, the reports can be forwarded by the state Board of Accounts to county pros- ecutors, grand juries or the state attorney general. Pence pushes for shield bill U.S. Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.) has re-introduced legislation designed to protect journalists and the public's right to know. H.R. Mike Pence 2932, the Free Flow of Information Act of 2011, would defend the rights of journalists and their use of confidential sources. The legislation, also called the federal media shield bill, was authored by Pence six years ago and has passed the House of Representatives in the past. "As a conservative who believes in limited gov- ernment, I know the only check on government power in real time is a free and independent press," Pence said Sept. 17 during a speech to the National Conference of Editorial Writers Convention in Indianapolis. "The Free Flow of Infor- mation Act is not about protecting reporters; it is about protecting the pub- lic's right to know," he said. Indiana has one of the most robust reporter shield laws in the coun- try, but it means noth- ing if a sharp attorney can move the question of sources from a state court into a federal court, said Steve Key, HSPA execu- tive director and general counsel. "While anonymous sources should be used sparingly, sometimes the confidentiality promised by a newspaper may be the only way that sig- nificant information that impacts a community, our state or our country can See Shield, Page 3