How Transparent Is Your Local Government? A Sunshine Week Investigation

How transparent are Virginia’s local governments when citizens ask for public records?In this episode of The Cardinal: News of Virginia, host Dutchie Jessee sits down with Cardinal News executive editor Jeff Schwaner to break down the newsroom’s ambitious Sunshine Week “public audit” project—a real-world test of how local governments respond to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests.To conduct the audit, 24 students from Radford University submitted basic public records requests across communities including Roanoke, Danville, Martinsville, Lynchburg, Bristol, and Radford. They asked for information taxpayers should be able to access easily—documents like school superintendent contracts, city budgets, and spending on outside legal counsel. The goal: measure government transparency, response time, and openness while reminding citizens that public records belong to the public.Jeff explains how the project worked, why FOIA laws matter for democracy, and what happens next as Cardinal News prepares report cards grading local governments on transparency and responsiveness. The investigation will also reveal patterns in what information is easy to obtain—and what government agencies resist sharing.If you’ve ever wondered how to request public records, how FOIA works in Virginia, or whether your local government is truly transparent, this conversation pulls back the curtain.Watch or listen now to learn how journalists—and everyday citizens—can hold government accountable.