Op-Eds by Members of the Michigan Newspaper Community.
2026 Sunshine Week Op-Ed
Letter from the Editor: It’s cloudy this Sunshine Week. Two people can part the skies
by John Hiner, MPA President,
President, MLive Media Group
Every Sunshine Week, the Michigan Press Association honors a public official who advances open government. This year, for the first time, we’re giving no award.
That’s how cloudy it is over transparency in Michigan.
“Unfortunately, this year’s legislative and policy landscape does not reflect the progress or commitment to openness that the award is designed to celebrate,” the MPA said in advance of Sunshine Week, which begins March 15.
Download John's Op-Ed in a PDF format , and in a Word Doc below.
2025 Sunshine Week Op-Ed
Restoring Trust with Transparency
by Eric Hamp, MPA President,
Publisher & Editor Houghton Lake Resorter/Crawford County Avalanche
Freedom of the press is important to those who have chosen to be journalists and serve as the peoples’ watchdogs in America for almost 250 years...