Deputy U.S. Chief Technology Officer Corinna Zarek will be the guest speaker for the fourth annual IowaWatch banquet on Sept. 29 in Des Moines.
The banquet, open to the public, will be at the Downtown Des Moines Marriott, starting with a 5:30 p.m. reception. It will follow other events scheduled that day as part of a Celebrating a Free Press and Open Government Day that brings attention to open government and the role an independent news media plays in democracy.
The banquet, hosted with the Iowa Freedom of Information Council, Iowa Newspaper Foundation and Iowa State University Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication, will celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Iowa Freedom of Information Council. The banquet’s theme will be “Forty Years, Freedom of Information, The Fight Continues.”
Zarek, a 2014 University of Iowa distinguished alumna fellow and graduate of the liberal arts and sciences and law colleges, leads the White House team’s work to build a more digital, open, and collaborative government. Zarek also coordinates U.S. involvement with the global Open Government Partnership, a 70-country platform driving greater transparency and accountability around the world.
She is a former Daily Iowan editor and former member of the Iowa Center for Public Affairs Journalism board of directors.
Other events on Sept. 29 in Des Moines will include a public forum hosted by Register Media, the Iowa Newspaper Association and the Iowa Freedom of Information Council about public access to police investigative files. Should these files be sealed from public examination? Or should the public and news media be granted access to these files with police actions under increasing scrutiny. Join others with diverse opinions for a roundtable discussion that involves representatives from the news media, law enforcement, and legal experts.
The public forum will be followed by the annual Iowa Freedom of Information Council business meeting.
The Iowa Freedom of Information Council will present its annual Harrison “Skip” Weber Friend of the First Amendment award at the banquet. IowaWatch will present its Stephen Berry and Randy Brubaker Free Press Champion awards respectively to a working journalist or journalism educator and to an Iowan who promotes the role of an unrestricted news media and open government in means other than as a journalist.
Admission to events other than the banquet is free, but registration is required for the banquet. The cost is $55 per plate, and registration is open until Thursday, Sept. 22.
The Downtown Marriott has a special group rate for the night of the banquet. Book your group rate for Iowa Watch Banquet by Sept. 8 at this link.
EVENTS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
- 2:00-4:00 p.m. – Des Moines Register/Iowa Newspaper Association forum on police investigative files, Des Moines Register Community Room, 400 Locust St., Des Moines, IA 50309.
- 4:30-5:30 p.m. –Iowa Freedom of Information Council Annual Business Meeting, Des Moines Downtown Marriott, 700 Grand Ave., Des Moines, IA 50309.
- 5:30-8:30 p.m. – IowaWatch reception and “Forty Years, Freedom of Information, The Fight Continues,” the fourth annual Celebrating a Free Press and Open Government Banquet with speaker Corinna Zarek, Downtown Des Moines Marriott.
BANQUET SPONSORS
The Celebrating a Free Press and Open Government banquet is support by:
ABOUT IOWAWATCH.ORG
The Iowa Center for Public Affairs Journalism is an independent, nonprofit and nonpartisan news service that collaborates with Iowa media partners to produce investigative and explanatory journalism, and trains college students to do this kind of work at a professional and ethical level. It was founded in 2010.
