Sunshine Week 2021: Social Media Toolkit
Below are sample social posts to share ahead of and during Sunshine Week on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other social platforms.
Hashtags
Use #SunshineWeek to engage during the week, and also consider including supporting hashtags such as #Transparency #FOIA #Opengov #Accountability #FreePress in your posts.
Sunshine Week is an opportunity to highlight the work of other organizations that work in the transparency and accountability space, so feel free to search for and tag their social accounts to amplify messages about events and other announcements during the week. Be sure to tag the @SunshineWeek account, too, so News Leaders Association can share your messages on our social platforms.
Share More
In addition to sharing tweets and incorporating Sunshine Week-branded images (see below) into your posts, consider uploading short Sunshine Week videos on YouTube, and repurposing the video(s) to create Instagram and Facebook stories. Add a reminder(s) about Sunshine Week to your newsletter and other collateral materials.
Consider dedicating some of your advertising budget to ads on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and connecting your organization’s work to Sunshine Week. Further boost Sunshine Week momentum by sharing events links and other social posts with your media contacts.
Sample Posts
Here are some social posts to edit and customize to best target your audience and social platforms.
Week before (Send week of March 8)
The countdown to #SunshineWeek 2021 celebrating & promoting access to information and open government nationwide is next week from March 14-20! Register for a variety of virtual events focused on #opengov #FOIA #transparency: https://www.newsleaders.org/sunshine-week-calendar
Week of (Send March 14 to March 20)
We are excited #SunshineWeek is here and proud to join good government organizations, media organizations and civic groups in promoting the significance of government transparency and accountability. Join the discussion: https://www.newsleaders.org/sunshine-week-calendar
This week is #SunshineWeek and @SunshineWeek has a toolkit, calendar of virtual #opengov events, and more, at your fingertips. Join the celebration: https://www.newsleaders.org/sunshine-week-about
For the 16th anniversary of #SunshineWeek, join @newsleaders @openthegov @DCOGC @FiveFreedoms @UTAustin & more in celebration of access to public information, and what it means for you and your community. It’s your right to know. https://www.newsleaders.org/sunshine-week-calendar
Increasing restrictions on access to records during a pandemic when transparency is essential to government accountability is a threat to #FOIA. Exercise your right to know by plugging into #opengov events during #SunshineWeek https://www.newsleaders.org/sunshine-week-calendar
A #SunshineWeek reminder: Across the country, records requests have been hampered during the pandemic with agencies taking six times longer to respond & withholding vital info from the public. #FOIA #Opengov
https://www.newsleaders.org/sunshine-week-about#SunshineWeek 2021 is here. Be part of the national push to advance openness & accountability in government. Check out the @SunshineWeek account and the #SunshineWeek hashtag for updates on various events, and remember to attend. https://www.newsleaders.org/sunshine-week-about.
#FOIA works best when agencies prioritize the public’s interest and proactively disclose records. Support government transparency, participate in #SunshineWeek 2021 https://www.newsleaders.org/sunshine-week-calendar
#SunshineWeek is a good week to recognize some #FOIA champions in Congress, including @ChuckGrassley @SenatorLeahy @JohnCornyn @SenFeinstein & @ChrisMurphyCT @RepMikeQuigley who have worked with transparency + accountability orgs to counter attacks on the public’s right to know.
This #SunshineWeek is an opportunity to recognize #opengov is at the foundation of accountable gov’t & #Accountability2021 is filled with critical recommendations to the Biden administration to restore accountability in gov’t. https://www.accountability2021.org/open-government
Records are important resources the public has to hold gov’t officials accountable. Join @openthegov for a #SunshineWeek discussion on 3/15 at 11 a.m. on Trump's records & library with @Lisarosenbrg @anthonyjclark Anne Weismann & @PhilipKennicott. RSVP uotu@openthegovernment.org.
In the spirit of transparency and accountability, @POTUS must heed the call of good government organizations urging the @WhiteHouse to release visitor logs for virtual visits this #SunshineWeek https://bit.ly/3kJuqp5 #opengov
National Freedom of Information Day (March 16)
Today is National Freedom of Information Day & birthday of James Madison, the Father of the Constitution & proponent of open gov’t. Celebrate your right to information @SunshineWeek events: https://www.newsleaders.org/sunshine-week-about #FreedomofInformationDay #SunshineWeek
Reiterate call for the Biden administration to make transparency a priority
.@POTUS’ pledge to “bring transparency and truth back to government” aligns with the spirit of #SunshineWeek and we urge the Biden administration to take these tangible steps to strengthen our democracy & embrace #opengov. https://politi.co/3e376Bn
Stories #FOIA made possible
It’s #SunshineWeek & a perfect time to highlight some of the stories #FOIA made possible such as this piece revealing Trump’s Secret Service paid up to $650/night of taxpayers’ dollars at his properties https://cnn.it/3v2NO5s #freepress
Businesses and industry orgs helped write their own rules in states eager to reopen during the pandemic in 2020 records requests showed. An important story made possible by #FOIA https://wapo.st/3kKlAaY #SunshineWeek
.@washingtonpost & 10 other news orgs filed a successful public records lawsuit that revealed more than half of the Treasury Dept.’s coronavirus emergency funds for small businesses went to larger businesses. A #FOIA win worth noting for #SunshineWeek https://wapo.st/388Omge
DHS Federal Protective Services downplayed warning signs of violence on January 6th according to #FOIA requests filed by @CREWcrew https://bit.ly/3cb6NC6 #SunshineWeek @SunshineWeek
Postmaster General Dejoy denied under oath that he had ordered cuts to overtime for USPS workers, but an internal memo obtained via #FOIA revealed otherwise https://bit.ly/3rAbFay #SunshineWeek @SunshineWeek
Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo spent more than $10K in taxpayer funds on engraved Madison Dinner-branded pens he gifted to attendees of notorious dinner parties. More from @CREWcrew #FOIA https://bit.ly/3qwge4n #SunshineWeek
Friday or Saturday
As this year’s #SunshineWeek wraps up, we are grateful for the journalists, civic groups, educators, elected officials, and members of the public that stand for open, accountable, transparent government. Remember to be part of next year’s celebration: March 13-19, 2022!
Sunshine Week Graphics
Sunshine Week graphics to accompany your posts are available here.
Thanks to Open The Government and Ufuoma Otu for compiling this resource.