The Sunshine Act: Pennsylvania’s Open Meetings Law

There’s no better time than Sunshine Week to take a closer look at the open meetings law and its impact on your local coverage.

This session reviews PA’s Sunshine Act with a focus on recent changes and frequently asked questions.  Melissa Melewsky, PNA’s Media Law Counsel, explains Pennsylvania’s Open Meetings Law, including reporters’ most common concerns such as remote meetings, agenda requirements, misuse of executive sessions, public comment restrictions, deliberations via email/texts and pursuing penalties for alleged violations.

Presented by: Melissa Melewsky, Media Law Counsel, PA NewsMedia Association

Most appropriate for editorial staffs, especially newcomers and anyone wanting to learn more about updates and changes.

This one-hour GoToWebinar session is scheduled to begin promptly at 12 noon, eastern time, on Friday, March 17.  Registrants must have both a computer and audio/phone in order to participate.  There is no cost for PNA members; $20 for non-members.

Register Now

A confirmation with log in instructions will be emailed to each registrant immediately upon registering and a reminder email will be sent one day and one hour prior to the session.  This session will be recorded; if you are unable to attend on March 17, we encourage you to register to receive the video link and any other session materials available to registrants only.

Melissa Melewsky is Media Law Counsel for the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association. She provides legal advice and advocacy to newspapers across the Commonwealth on a wide range of legal topics affecting the newspaper industry. Melissa also advocates for newspapers as an amicus curiae in the Pennsylvania judicial system in cases affecting the newspaper industry including access to government records and meetings, First Amendment rights, and defamation. Melissa has been a guest lecturer throughout the Commonwealth for media and civic organizations as well as government agencies and the court system on the Right to Know Law, the Sunshine Act and other laws that affect the media industry. She is a former co-chair of the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s Bar Press Committee and is currently an active member.  Prior to joining the Association, Melissa was the judicial law clerk to the Honorable William Harvey Wiest, Northumberland County Court of Common Pleas. She received a B.A. in Telecommunications from the Pennsylvania State University and a J.D. from Widener University School of Law.