Each March, the worlds of journalism and government mark Sunshine Week, a time to focus on the value of access to public information and to help residents understand the workings of their local government. This year the week runs from March 15 to 21.
The Municipal Association of SC regularly publishes articles in its Uptown magazine exploring some of the key issues involved in municipal communication, as well as the SC Freedom of Information Act. Here’s a look at a number of recent articles.
Open communications
Municipal government is often said to be the level of government closest to the people, and cities and towns often place a major focus on their communication and engagement with their residents.
They can find many ways to do this. This feature story explored personal outreach on the part of city officials, whether that be Columbia Mayor Daniel Rickenmann using a podcast to talk to many of his city’s business owners and nonprofit representatives; the City of North Augusta’s “Public Power Hour,” which allows informal conversations between residents and the city council; or the City of Tega Cay’s similar, monthly “Chat with Council.”
Municipal services are characterized by their regular delivery, whether that be trash collection, water and sewer service, or even keeping the public parks open. When disruptions to these services occur, whether from an emergency or even from regular maintenance work, the city government needs to let residents know. This feature story in the March 2026 Uptown takes a look at how the City of Myrtle Beach communicates about road closures for major events, how the City of Hartsville handles inclement weather disruptions, and how the Town of Bluffton explains which level of government handles which service in its Bluffton Resident Resource Guide.
Social media
In the 21st century, social media has unquestionably emerged as a critical communications channel — but exactly how to use these powerful tools is a common question. This feature story brings together the communications staffs in Beaufort, Fort Mill and Hardeeville to talk about the strategy they use when matching messages to social media channels, whether it be Facebook, Instagram, YouTube or even Nextdoor.
Of course, moderating the comments that residents post to a city’s social media account brings its own challenges, especially in terms of the First Amendment considerations involved. This article takes a look at many of the legal considerations when balancing competing concerns and consistently enforcing social media rules.
The Freedom of Information Act
The FOIA law is the cornerstone of governmental transparency in South Carolina. In addition to the detailed guide offered by the SC Press Association, the Municipal Association of SC has numerous resources on how cities and towns can comply with FOIA requirements.
FOIA requires cities and towns to notify the public about public meetings at least 24 hours in advance. Municipalities must provide the agenda to the local media or anyone who requests it, and post it at the meeting location and on their website, if they have one. FOIA sets requirements for how public meetings proceed, such as the use of executive sessions, a period of the meeting that is closed to the public, for certain very specific purposes. FOIA also governs the processes and timelines involved in local governments providing public documents that a person has requested.
Following FOIA correctly can involve many questions, and some of those are covered in these articles:
Public meetings
- Keep Things Consistent When Posting Meeting Agendas Online
- Avoid Adopting an Agenda as an Action Item
- Executive Session FAQs
- How Special Meetings Work
Providing records
- What to Know About Charging Fees for FOIA Requests
- Some FOIA Records Have No Waiting Period
- How Does Releasing Personnel and Compensation Information Work Under FOIA?
- Disclosing Information on Job Finalist Pools
- Are Agencies Required to Release Body-Worn Camera Footage?
Understanding and following FOIA can help build trust, prevent legal issues and keep residents up to speed on how their local government operates.