TVW celebrates 25 years of providing unfiltered access to state government
Last week, in the midst of the COVID-19 outbreak, news organizations were also marking “Sunshine Week” — a national effort to educate the public about the importance of open government and public information for our state and local communities. From the White House, to the statehouse, to the courthouse, all government derives its power from you and it is accountable to you — so you have a right to know.
In Washington state, we can point to a number of important resources that help keep the “sunshine” on our state and local governments. For instance, in 1972, voters approved the Public Disclosure Act and created the Public Disclosure Commission. Today, the PDC provides the public with information about campaign fundraising and expenditures. This was a tremendous first step in our right to know.
In 1995, another major advancement in your right to know debuted on cable stations across the state. TV Washington — now known simply as TVW — followed in the footsteps of C-SPAN in providing open access to state government. In addition to serving as your lens into the day-to-day activities of state government, TVW creates regularly produced shows and periodic documentaries that bring depth and context to some of the toughest issues our state is facing. We’re not afraid to tackle the tough issues because it is our job to open conversations that, for far too long, have been polarized.
There is tremendous power in transparency, in access to government without filters, in watching our elected leaders struggle with tough decisions that impact lives and livelihoods. That power is yours, because you have a right to know.
As we address these challenging topics and work diligently to tell all sides of a story, we agonize about accuracy, balance, tone, and even the words we use to ensure our personal bias does not spill over into our coverage of any given issue. It is not our job to influence — it is our job to inform, bring perspective, and create respectful dialogue.
Our founders — Congressman Denny Heck and Stan Marshburn, both former advisers to Gov. Booth Gardner — like to remind us that getting TVW off the ground was a highly challenging endeavor. They warn us that because we live at a time in which access to all kinds of information has never been more readily available, the temptation is to become complacent and take the hard-won resource of TVW for granted. Because we have so many sources of information — sound and suspect — literally at our fingertips, the unfiltered access TVW provides is now more important than ever. Because you really do have a right to know.
Over the course of the last 25 years, TVW has become one of those important institutions that binds our communities together. Through TVW, you have an opportunity to see how your government is dealing with crime, managing homelessness, and fighting drug use and abuse. And, through TVW you have a first-hand glimpse into how your government is spending your tax dollars, responding to current and future needs, and earning your trust — or not.
President James Madison, the father of the U.S. Constitution and whose birthday we honor during Sunshine Week, once said, “A popular government, without popular information, or the means of acquiring it, is but a prologue to a farce or a tragedy; or perhaps both.”
In recent days, TVW has provided the public with consistent access to Gov. Inslee’s press conferences about the virus, sharing reliable information about how state government is responding to this unprecedented crisis. As we all continue to seek reliable information, I am reminded that transparency is not easy work. But this work is not about us, it’s about you. And that is always top of mind at TVW.
Because you have a right to know.
Former Washington State Rep. Renee Radcliff Sinclair is president of TVW, Washington’s public affairs network, celebrating 25 years of bringing unfiltered access to state government through a variety of media options including cable television and on-demand at TVW.org.