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Heroes of the 50 States
The State Government Hall of Fame

Nomination deadline: March 15, 2013

There are heroes among us. Heroes who may be well known within their respective states and communities, but whose labors have gone unrecognized elsewhere. Heroes whose efforts have kept state and local government records and meetings open and accessible to their fellow citizens. It is time to recognize these heroes in the same way we recognize the heroes of the federal Freedom of Information Act. It is time for a new Open Government Hall of Fame, to honor those whose lifetime commitment to citizen access, open government and freedom of information has left a legacy at the state and local level.

“Heroes of the 50 States: The State Open Government Hall of Fame” is a joint venture by SPJ and the National Freedom of Information Coalition. It was developed by leaders in both organizations as a way to recognize long-term contributions of individuals to open government in their respective states.

Specifically, induction into the Hall recognizes “long and steady effort to preserve and protect the free flow of information about state and local government that is vital to the public in a democracy.”

Each spring, one person will be inducted into the Hall of Fame. The announcements will be made at a conference jointly sponsored by SPJ and NFOIC.

Eligibility

The Open Government Hall of Fame is open to anyone who has made a substantial, sustained and lasting contribution to open government or freedom of information within one particular state. Even if the nominee has been active in national efforts or national organizations, the judges will only consider accomplishments at the state level.

Nominees may come from government, the media, the non-profit sector, the legal profession, or any other area of endeavor that involves citizen access to government records, meetings and procedures. Nominees may be living or dead, active or retired.

Judging takes place each year following Sunshine Week. All nominations are evaluated by a Screening/Selector Committee that includes a representative of SPJ, a representative of NFOIC and at least one additional at-large Selector. To ensure the integrity of the process, Screeners/Selectors only become known to each other in the latter stages of judging in any given year.

Nominations

Nominations should include the following:

— Cover letter identifying the nominee and the person or group making the nomination.
— Adequate support material to demonstrate the worthiness of the nominee.

Please send all nomination materials to:

Ken Bunting
NFOIC Executive Director
University of Missouri-Columbia
101E Reynolds Journalism Institute
Columbia, MO 65211
(Please send to the attention of Ken Bunting)
E-mail

Nominations must be received by March 15, 2013.

Judging

All nominees will be evaluated by a screening committee of SPJ and NFOIC leaders, who will select the winners.

For more information, contact Ken Bunting at buntingk@missouri.edu.