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Megan Rhyne

Executive Director of the Virginia Coalition for Open Government
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Blog Posts

Public Bodies Need More Public Discourse, Not Less

Instead of making it easier to talk behind closed doors, let's work on contributing to the marketplace of ideas.

Get Into the Spirit

The spirit of FOIA is important for government AND citizens.

Shooting the Mug Shot Messenger

Publications and websites that profit off of mug shots obtained through public records requests may be distasteful, but ban them?

Issues

The Private and the Public Relations (in McLean Patch)

There's no general privacy exemption under FOIA, and sometimes release of records is the government's best public relations move.

Ask Your Elected Official (in McLean Patch)

Ask your local, state and federal representatives just how they feel about open government, but what they would do to fix problems of secrecy.

Getting schooled on FOIA (in McLean Patch)

Use FOIA's rules for accessing records and meetings to keep tabs on your children's school this year.

E-meeting Subcommittee Down The Primrose Path (in McLean Patch)

Proposed changes to e-meeting rules undermine basic assumptions.

Issues

Finding Truffles Among the Acorns (in McLean Patch)

Sometimes what we think we want out of a FOIA request turns out to be something else

History

Read FOIA and Save Me from My High Horse

Some of the FOIA procedures entities come up with are head-scratchers; some are just plain wrong.

Who Is Your FOIA Hero?

Citizens, journalists and government will be recognized at VCOG's annual conference.

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