THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, August 31, 1996 TAG: 9608310412
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B7 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: 45 lines
Former University of Virginia President Robert M. O'Neil is the first president of the Virginia Coalition for Open Government, an organization that promotes easy access to public information in the state.
The nonpartisan, nonprofit coalition of librarians, journalists and other open-government activists was established in July and elected its first slate of officers last week.
O'Neil was president of U.Va. from 1985 to 1990, and is founding director of the Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression, based at the university. He teaches courses on free speech in the computer age and First Amendment courses as a law professor at the university.
O'Neil was a clerk for U.S. Supreme Court Justice William J. Brennan Jr., former chairman of the Virginia State Bar's Law-Media Relations Committee in 1992 and author of ``Free Speech: Responsible Communications Under Law.''
``This is a particularly crucial time to protect access - for readers, library patrons, TV viewers, radio listeners, Internet users and the larger community,'' O'Neil said.
Myrtle Barnes, who retired last month as an editor of the Daily Press in Newport News, was elected vice president. Shirley Carter, chairwoman of Norfolk State University's journalism department, is the secretary, and Jenay Tate, editor of The Coalfield Progress in Norton, is the treasurer. Former Gov. Linwood Holton was elected as a director.
Forrest M. Landon was appointed as the coalition's executive director. Landon retired as executive editor of The Roanoke Times in October and spearheaded efforts to organize the coalition.
Landon helped raise almost $200,000 in startup money from nearly 50 sponsoring organizations. The Virginia Press Association and the Virginia Association of Broadcasters each provided $40,000 each. Major gifts also came from Richmond-based Media General, The Virginian-Pilot and The Roanoke Times, the Daily Press, Chantilly-based America Online, WTKR-TV in Norfolk, WDBJ-TV in Roanoke and The Free Lance-Star in Fredericksburg. ILLUSTRATION: FOR DETAILS
For more information about the coalition or to join, individuals
or organizations should write Forrest M. Landon at Box 2491,
Roanoke, Va. 24018, or send e-mail to flandon(at sign)infi.net by CNB