Standard-Examiner: Utah’s GRAMA Can Be a Blessing and a Curse for News Agencies

Sodden reminder: If you just lay down like a whipped dog following a bad-faith GRAMA request denial, you merely encourage more government misbehavior

At risk of coming off as "late to the party," we'll shine the spotlight on Saturday's "Behind the Headlines" column, in which the Standard's new managing editor Mark Shenefelt, in the wake of Roy city officials' recent denial of a Standard-Examiner Government Records and Management Act (GRAMA)  request "to release the details of the investigation that apparently led to Roy Police Chief Greg Whinham’s sudden resignation July 17," devotes some irate ink to grousing about "innumerable loopholes with which to delay, deny and wear down even committed requestors, especially those without the wherewithal to engage legal services to keep fighting at the end of standard appeals":

• Utah’s GRAMA can be a blessing and a curse for news agencies

Regular Weber County Forum readers can of course fully empathize with the Standard's plight. What WCF reader can forget our own WCF regular contributor Dan Schroeder's overly-prolonged (but for the most part successful)  or GRAMA battles, for instance?

Down in the Standard's comments section however, the battle-hardened Professor Schroeder offers the Standard a little bit of sage advice (paraphrased for general application and brevity):

"... if the government is using [GRAMA loopholes] to deny a request outright, you should appeal and, if necessary, take them to court. Needless to say, government officials have no incentive to comply with the GRAMA statute if they don't think they'll suffer any consequences from their noncompliance."

Come on, Standard-Examiner. You didn't think these secretive government bureaucrats would just meekly hand over these materials without a fight, did ya's?

Sodden remember.  If you just lay down like a whipped dog following an erroneous and/or bad-faith GRAMA request denial, Mr. Shenenfelt, you merely encourage more government misbehavior.

That's our take; and we're stickin' with it.

 So what say our Gentle WCF Readers about all this?