Sunshine Law topic of media panel discussion
November 8, 2007
Contact: Paul K. Logsdon, Director of Public Relations and Publications, (417) 865-2815 ext. 7292
A good representation of community leaders joined a crowd of Evangel journalism and pre-law students for an in-depth discussion on Missouri's open records "Sunshine Law."
Ernest O'Gaffney from Ozark, Ron Davis from KSPR (ABC-TV), Tony Messenger from the Springfield News-Leader, and Ron Carrier from Springfield kept the conversation lively, timely and relevant to the topic of open records and government accountability.
Springfield, Mo. — “Practical Use of the Sunshine Law” will be the topic of a media panel discussion starting at 6:30 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 15, in Room 102 of Trask Hall (aka Academic Building 2) on the campus of Evangel University in Springfield, Mo.
The event is free and open to the public.
The Southwest Missouri PRO Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, in conjunction with the Evangel Chapter of the Christian Prelaw Society and the Society of Collegiate Journalists at Evangel, are jointly hosting this panel discussion to focus attention on the practical use of Missouri’s Sunshine Law.
Panelists include Ron Carrier, chief counsel for the Missouri attorney general in southwest Missouri; Tony Messenger, Springfield News-Leader editorial page editor; Ron Davis, KSPR senior news producer; and Ernie O’Gaffney, Christian County resident.
The program will include a 30-minute overview of the Sunshine Law and then an open panel discussion about the pros and cons of the Sunshine Law, ways to use the law effectively, examples of how the law can be used and some things that might be changed to improve the law.
Parking is available on the east side of the campus, facing Glenstone, and signs will be posted pointing visitors toward Trask Hall.
For more information about the program or the panelists, contact either David Burton, president of the local SPJ Chapter at (417) 862-9284 or Melinda Booze, journalism/communication instructor at Evangel (417) 865-2815.
Ernest O'Gaffney
Ernest O’Gaffney, born in San Francisco, Calif., is a veteran of the US Army and retired CEO of a large Internet business. He moved to Billings, Mo., in 2004. Just this year he successfully introduced and ran a campaign to require building codes in Christian County. He is also the founder and former chairman of the Christian County Coalition. “As a result of watching the Christian County Commission, the Sunshine Law became my second Bible, which I have used to bring change to Christian County via court actions and Writs of Mandamus,” said O’Gaffney. “The Sunshine Act is only as good as the people who are willing to stand up and use it to force government to be transparent for the benefit of all citizens.”
Ron Carrier
Ron Carrier served in the Greene County Prosecutor’s Office from 1990 to 1998, both as an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney and Prosecuting Attorney. He has served in the Missouri Attorney General’s Office since 1999, currently holding the position of Chief Counsel of the Southwest Regional Office in Springfield. Each year he makes public presentations to local governmental bodies regarding the Sunshine Law and how those entities can meet their responsibilities under the law.
Ron Davis
Ron Davis has worked in local media for the past 25 years. He is one of Missouri’s most-honored journalists, winning more than 100 state, regional and national awards for reporting and writing. Davis has used Missouri’s Sunshine Law and the national Freedom of Information Act in many reporting projects, including stories on the U.S. Medical Center for Federal Prisoners. He has worked as a news director for KSMU-FM (1985-87); as a writer and editor for the News-Leader (1987-1997); as founding editor of 417 Magazine (1997-2001); and as a morning-show host for KWTO-AM. Davis, 46, is currently senior news producer at KSPR, the ABC affiliate in Springfield.
Tony Messenger
Tony Messenger is the Editorial Page Editor of the News-Leader, a Gannett-owned daily newspaper in Springfield with a Sunday circulation of 92,586. He has worked as a reporter, editor and columnist at newspapers in several states. Fiercely independent politically, he’s known in Missouri political circles for his unpredictability. Tony is also a strong supporter of the Missouri Sunshine Law and has used it frequently in his reporting. Most recently, he has written about several top state officials who appear to have violated the Sunshine Laws. He has also advocated for changes to the current Missouri law.