Newspapers continue to play a vital role in public notice

When I talk with citizen groups in Tennessee about open government, people tell me they want more information about what their government is doing, not less.

An informed citizenry results in better and more accountable government. But in plain language, people just want to know what's going on, particularly when it affects their lives directly.

How do people get informed? How does information about what government is doing flow to the public? And in this day and age, what methods are reliable, trustworthy and accurate?

One reliable way is through the public notice laws. Government entities in...