The document discusses the importance of public notices being placed in local newspapers rather than obscure government websites so that citizens are aware of governmental actions and proceedings. It argues that removing public notice requirements from newspapers and placing them only online would make the notices almost impossible for the public to find and see what their government is planning. The document advocates for keeping public notices in newspapers and also placing them on newspaper websites to ensure transparency while reducing costs for local governments.

1. A PUBLIC NOTICE
WILL ONLY GET NOTICED
IF THE PUBLIC KNOWS
WHERE TO LOOK.
I t's a t r ad it i on as old as American democracy: when government wants to do something, it needs to let citizens know.
Now that right is being threatened - by proposals to do away with the requirement to run public notices in your local newspaper.
Some officials would like to start putting public notices online instead, buried somewhere on a little seen, rarely visited government website.
That means you'd likely never see what they might be up to. Some municipalities don't even have websites.
They claim it's a cost-saving move. But what it really means is that government will be able to hide its dealings from the people of Pennsylvania.
Legislation supported by the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association reduces advertising rates for local governments and expands the reach of public notices.
It keeps them in newspapers, and at the same time increases your ability to know by adding them to newspaper websites.
Get the facts at panewspaper.org/notices.