Sunshine Week: Blueprint for Accountability 

    During my time perusing the Sunshine Week website, I stumbled across a link to a non-profit organization called "Blueprint for Accountability." Its mission is to identify and formulate solutions to build an accountable government. They seek to repair areas of government that lack transparency, ethics, and oversight. They list various recommendations for Executive Branch action in a very concise, informative, and attractive format. They break down recommendations into six categories: ethics, open government, balance of power, whistleblowers, responsive government, and the COVID pandemic. Overall, they do a wonderful job of pinpointing what is happening under the current Biden Administration as it involves democratic transparency and accountability. 

     One of the major points of Blueprint for Accountability's newest progress report is the implementation of a memorandum on the Freedom of Information Act. Attorney-General Garland was responsible for putting this into action on March 15, 2022. The goal was to strengthen government transparency of all operations alongside fair and effective administration of FOIA. 

     As we move on through the report to Pandemic Response & Preparedness, we see an effort to ensure that major policy decisions related to COVID-19 are put into place by competent experts in the medical, scientific, and health sectors of our government. The progress report makes it clear that this was something the current government administration has committed to. 

     Further memorandum under the Biden Administration titled "Restoring Trust in Government Through Scientific Integrity and Evidence-Based Policy-making" looks to instill integral policies and infrastructure to uphold and enforce the pandemic response. It also seeks to improve the accessibility of information pertaining to Coronavirus. 

     In times of pandemic or a health crisis like we've seen recently, the government can either help or hurt the public response. Some of the above efforts were crucial to ensuring that even in a time of emergency and overreaching government power, individuals and organizations can still hold their elected officials accountable. Individuals should be able to rely on the government to provide timely information and ensure disclosure and maintenance of policy and practice. Furthermore, all of the scientific inquiry and data that shape the government's response to COVID should be backed by competent, credible sources. Public interest is protected only insofar as the government is transparent and pliable to democratic discussion and adjustment. Nothing should be swept under the rug. That allows unchecked power to bloom in even the best of government systems. 

     I believe that journalists and the general public can gather a lot of crucial information from this site. Reforms are crucial to government accountability and greatly impact how journalists access crucial information on behalf of the public. Democratic values demand government transparency to ensure that the public is making informed decisions. Journalists go beyond simply investigating and writing stories. Much of their work encompasses protecting public access to information. Oftentimes, their work reflects stories and information that would otherwise remain invisible. Just as often, they represent those who may not have a voice. Their work encompasses far more than just black words on white paper. They hold a position of power to clearly and effectively articulate information to the public. 

     I personally found the "Blueprint for Accountability" to be a wonderful resource. It is attractive and concise, and the aim is clear. It's a condensed compilation of crucial information regarding government policy that has been enacted or stands to be implemented. The entire mission of the organization is to open up the government. I believe transparency is the heart of democracy. If people are going to be supported and support their government, they need to have a deep sense of faith that the government operates within their best interests. Journalists, as we've seen in movies like "All the President's Men" or "Spotlight," and throughout history have influenced and upheld democratic values and the 1st Amendment. They are champions of this critical sector.