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It's National Sunshine Week -- a week when media organizations write stories and editorials supporting access to public records and meetings.

One of the most important functions of a free press is to inform the public about government activities. Without access to information, journalists can't do their jobs. But open records laws are not in place simply to help reporters do their jobs -- they are there to ensure that the governed understand the actions of those who govern them.

In Moffat County, the press has tangled at times with public officials about open records and closed meetings. The average reader may find it confusing why newspapers make such a big deal about closed-door meetings.

The issue of keeping public information public doesn't always resonate with the public. Although it's hard to find anyone who does not think that open government is the best government, the public often shows an indifference to specific cases.

Such apathy is precisely why the keepers of government records sometimes don't feel compelled to share records that clearly belong to the public.

Kathleen Duff, the editorial page editor for the Fort Collins Coloradoan, thinks the press can do a better job of explaining why the public should care.

"Surveys reveal that trust in the press and support for the First Amendment is at a low point, perhaps because the media has carried the mantle of freedom of the press more seriously than it has its representative role for the public good," she wrote in her own Sunshine Week editorial. "Often, we in the media publish big-typed headlines about boards meeting behind closed doors, followed by lengthy editorials that cite the First Amendment and open meetings laws.

"Covering these issues is essential, but sometimes it appears that we lean so heavily on pointing out the principle that we lose the simple practicality of why government must be conducted in public. Too often, our justification -- our explanation -- to the public for seeking information is inadequate and feeds a sense of elitism. Journalists appear to no longer represent the people in our quest; we represent the grand media.

"Just like any other news story, articles about open records and inquiries into government business deserve to be layered with not just what was found, but why we were looking in the first place -- on behalf of the public."

As we have learned here at the Daily Press, local boards are sometimes confused about the finer points of Colorado's Open Meetings laws.

When one of our reporters challenges a board's right to meet in private, it's not simply to create drama or get under a public official's skin. It's because we understand the potential pitfalls that can occur when the public is prevented from in participating in government.

We appreciate that business conducted behind closed doors can be fruitful and help public officials get things done. We don't discount the frustration that elected officials feel about having every thought and expression become part of the public record.

But as U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, noted in his recent bill to strengthen the American Freedom of Information Act, the government's legitimacy is derived from the consent of the governed. If the governed aren't well informed, the integrity of the government comes into question.

"So many times, the quest for public information deteriorates into a government vs. journalism battle, when it should be elevated to a discussion about how government should serve the people," Duff wrote.

We agree. We hope we can make a difference locally by sponsoring a workshop that will give public officials an opportunity to learn more about sunshine laws in Colorado.