#SunshineWeek is a reminder of something we in statehouse journalism already know: transparency isn’t a slogan — it’s a daily fight.

Open records laws, public meetings and access to information are the tools that make accountability possible. But those tools only matter if someone is using them. That’s where local and statehouse reporters come in. They are the ones filing the requests, sitting through the hearings, asking the follow-up questions and, when necessary, pushing back when access is denied.

The truth is, government doesn’t always open itself. It has to be pressed — consistently, professionally and without fear or favor. That work isn’t glamorous, and it rarely happens on a predictable schedule. But it is essential.

What often gets lost in the conversation about transparency is how uneven access can be. Rules vary by state. Enforcement varies by agency. And increasingly, the barriers are not just legal but practical — delayed responses, high fees, incomplete records. Each of those obstacles slows the public’s ability to understand what its government is doing in real time.

That is why investment in statehouse journalism matters. Reporters who know the process, understand the players and are persistent in their pursuit of records and answers are the difference between information that exists and information that is actually accessible to the public. Transparency is not passive — it requires experience, context and sustained attention.

Sunshine Week is a good moment to celebrate transparency. It’s also a good moment to recommit to it — not just in principle, but in practice. Because the public’s right to know depends on people willing to do the work every single day.

Alison Bethel is the Chief Content Officer & Editor-in-Chief at State Affairs.