On Monday, Mar. 16, The Herald-Mail will join newspapers and broadcasters across the nation in celebrating "Sunshine Week," which is designed to develop public support for open government.

Newspapers and other news-gathering organizations need the public's support because, all too often, government tends to view the search for information as just the media's curiosity, as opposed to the people's right to know.

But before detailing the progress that still needs to be achieved, it's appropriate to take notice of the recent progress that has been made.

According to an interview scheduled for release Sunday, March 16, Tom Curley, president and CEO of The Associated Press, said the open government movement made some strides in the past year, including:

The Freedom of Information Act was upgraded 40 years after it was first passed.

A federal "shield" law, that would allow reporters more protection against being forced to disclose their sources, advanced further in Congress than it has previously.

Unfortunately, Curley said, in the past year the media saw additional pressure from judges to force reporters to name their sources.

Is the Freedom of Information Act just a way for nosy reporters to make elected officials' lives difficult?

Of course not. The Herald-Mail has pursued Freedom of Information Act requests, not to satisfy its staff's curiosity, but to determine whether taxpayers are getting their money's worth from local government.

For example, in March 2007, the county government took 49 days to produce a copy of its plan to deal with a disaster.

Do some things need to be kept secret, such as the radio frequencies that would be used during an emergency?

Of course, but having a disaster plan and not telling citizens about it would be as bad as having no plan at all.

Over the years, The Herald-Mail has used the FOIA to get information about everything from the inner workings of the school system to the severance package given to a former director of Washington County's Economic Development Department.

In these incidents, taxpayers' money was involved, which means citizens are entitled - with a few exceptions - to know how their money is being spent and why.

That's why The Herald-Mail pressed Washington County government for more information about who owned the downtown Hagerstown property that a majority of the county commissioners recently voted to purchase for $4.6 million.

Whether or not you believe it was a good deal, citizens have a right to know who the sellers are.

During the current campaign, participants in Sunshine Week will be asking candidates about their views on open government.

Based on long experience, we know that some elected officials find it easier to withhold details of a controversial program - for example, the reorganization of a government department - until the deal is done.

But not giving citizens such information denies them the right to know how their money is being spent.

Just as important, it denies the government officials involved the good ideas that interested county residents might pass along. When in doubt, let the sun shine in.