Honolulu Community-Media Council
P.O. Box 22415 Honolulu, HI 96823
Contact: Holly Green
Tel: (808) 988-9339
THE STRONG FOUNDATION GRANTS $25,000 TO HONOLULU COMMUNITY-MEDIA COUNCIL
(May 18, 2004 Honolulu Hawaii) The Honolulu Community-Media Council has been granted $25,000 from The Strong Foundation to establish and support the Youth Speakers Bureau Community Outreach Project of the Honolulu Community-Media Council.
Under this project, members of the Honolulu Community-Media Council will speak to Hawaiiís students and community organizations on First Amendment Rights and the Media, Media and Democracy, Freedom of Information and Democracy and Understanding the Media and Media Literacy.
The project is intended to educate youth and the community about the media and the mediaís role in open government, the publicís First Amendment rights and the publicís rights under Hawaiiís freedom of information laws.
The Hawaii State Legislature adopted its current freedom of information law in 1988. The relationship between our First Amendment rights, freedom of information laws, and the mediaís role in our democracy are critical to an open government. While the mediaís role in supporting the publicís right to know is fairly well known, less known is the citizenís right to access government-held information. In combination, a free press and the publicís right to know are essential to a transparent and accountable government and make possible citizen involvement in formulating social policies in the decision making process of government. In recent years, over 50 countries have passed some sort of legislation regarding freedom of information or the rights of its citizens to access government held information.
Through this project, the Honolulu Community-Media Council will promote a greater appreciation, knowledge and understanding of our rights as citizens to participate in the decision making process of government and to ensure that the public's business is conducted in public.
Established in 1970, the HC-MC is the oldest of the nationís three volunteer media councils. The Council is composed of individuals from the media and community and is a nonpartisan, non-governmental independent group which seeks to promote accurate and fair journalism in Hawaii, broaden public understanding of the role of the media and strengthen public support for First Amendment rights and freedoms, and improve public access to information. For more information, please visit our web site at www.mediacouncil.org.
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