Reporter Alan J. Keays, center, asks the governor a question at a press conference in Berlin on Monday, Dec. 18, 2023. Photo by Natalie Williams/VTDigger Sunshine Week highlights the public’s right to access government information. But that right only has meaning when it is exercised. VTDigger ’s Alan J. Keays shows what that work looks like in practice. If you believe in open government and a free press, please help support it today. Donate now Last year, when the Addison County State’s Attorney was charged with driving under the influence, the case quickly became a matter of disputed accounts. She maintained she was not impaired. Police officers said otherwise. She declined field sobriety and breath tests. The police body camera footage from the arrest was not released.  If the public is to assess cases like this fairly, it must be able to see the evidence. Alan requested the video and audio recordings and the request was denied. So VTDigger went to court. A Vermont judge ruled in VTDigger’s favor and ordered the footage released, affirming that the public has a right to examine the same information that attorneys and officials review behind the scenes. The case is a clear example of what Sunshine Week represents: freedom of information is only meaningful when journalists working in the public interest put it into action. We can’t do this work without reader support.  Requesting public records may start with an email, but in Alan’s experience, that’s often just the beginning. Agencies may charge for the time required to search for documents, review them and redact sensitive information. When access is denied, pursuing records through litigation requires additional time and legal expertise. Our democracy depends on a free press willing to fight for transparency. It also depends on people willing to sustain this kind of journalism. This Sunshine Week, please support the work of VTDigger reporters like Alan J. Keays and our efforts to bring public information to light. Donate now Thank you for being a reader. P.S. Read about the most recent developments in the Eva Vekos case and our public records fight for the bodycam footage. Read the story on VTDigger here: Sunshine Week: Reporter Alan J. Keays on why transparency is worth the fight. ...read more read less