In the era of shrinking newspapers, public needs to assert rights

Opinion from Palo Alto Patch:

Something is  wrong.

I see it nearly every day in my representation of reporters throughout California. Local and state agencies are throwing up excuse after excuse when responding to requests for public records and are unapologetically meeting behind closed doors, chancing that the denial of access will go unchallenged or that a reporter’s resolve will fade with sufficient delay in responding to the request.