Sunshine Week begins March 15, 2026. The nationwide, non-partisan initiative promotes the importance of open government and the public’s right to access public records.
Deputies chased fleeing cars unchecked before killing innocent bystanders. Staff members failed to provide medical care to people in need inside the Cuyahoga County jail. Families finally learned the truth about how their loved ones died in custody.
Without public records, none of those stories could be told.
That is the heart of Ohio’s Public Records Act — without it, the public is left with a narrative told by the institutions under scrutiny. Let’s face it: Would anyone really trust a story told by the very officials who created the problem?
But, as we mark Sunshine Week and shine light on the importance of government transparency, Ohio’s public records remain under constant threat.
For more than a year, our team reviewed documents, data and videos, and interviewed hundreds of people to accurately portray what happens — or doesn’t happen — when people interact with or die at the hands of law enforcement.
The Marshall Project’s goal is to create and sustain a sense of urgency around the criminal justice system. We strive to ensure that underrepresented communities have their stories told. Public records make that possible.
In several instances, government leaders took actions while we investigated and before we published a story. After the evidence from the public records became irrefutable, Lorain Mayor Jack Bradley stopped issuing improper parking tickets that had led to hundreds of license suspensions. The Cuyahoga County sheriff now releases body-camera images from serious encounters within seven days.
Other examples: A longtime judge pleaded guilty to a felony because our reports on public records exposed her crime. The Mohican Young Star Academy paused admissions to its state youth treatment facility following our expose. And we uncovered failures inside Ohio state psychiatric facilities that have led to fewer people receiving care.
Still, some government agencies often argue that withholding records protects investigations, privacy or security. Sometimes those concerns are legitimate. Too often, though, we have seen that exemption stretched beyond recognition.
During our reporting, many records requests were often ignored or delayed for months. We pushed back.
Records matter. They force elected officials to act.
Public record laws are often called Sunshine Laws. They were coined by a quote from the U.S. Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis in 1913: “Sunlight is said to be the best disinfectant. If the broad light of day could be let in upon men’s actions, it would purify them as the sun disinfects.”
That access, though, is not guaranteed. The Ohio Coalition for Open Government, a nonprofit established by the Ohio News Media Foundation, fights for open government issues and access to public records.
“Open government isn’t a Republican issue or a Democratic issue and affects all aspects of the lives of Ohioans,” the organization says.
Ohio’s Public Records Act became law in 1963. Over the decades, it has been amended many times — some changes strengthening accountability, others carving out new exemptions.
One notable decision eroded the public's right-to-know in June. The Ohio Supreme Court ruled that when public officials use private email accounts for official communication, those messages may not become public under the law.
But six months later, the same court reinforced a ruling that officials may not improperly blackout large portions of public records.
The courts can still help to unlock improperly withheld public records. Anyone denied access to a record can file suit against the agency and ask a judge to decide what is public.
So here is the challenge.
To residents: We fight for your right to know when filing for records. Pay attention to proposed law changes. Support transparency efforts. Ask questions of your local officials.
To journalists: Fight for the records. Push back on improper exemptions. Push back when officials don't want you in meetings or court. Appeal when necessary. The delays are frustrating, the process can be slow, but the work is essential.
To government leaders: Public records are not weapons. They are tools of accountability in a democracy. Transparency may be uncomfortable, but secrecy erodes trust far faster than disclosure ever could.
The stories contained in public records belong to the people of the Buckeye State.
The law should continue to reflect that.
