Celebrating Sunshine Week and Blerd culture

By Benjamin Schachtman,

Rachel Keith, Aaleah McConnell

Published March 21, 2025 at 2:29 PM EDT

On today’s show, Rachel Keith celebrates Sunshine Week, an annual event focused on open government and transparency. In honor of this year’s sunshine week, we’re taking a look at government speech policies — we’ll dig into how much public employees, including college professors, can say when they talk to journalists or speak out on political issues. And, later on today’s show, Aaleah McConnell takes a personal look a being a Blerd — that’s a black nerd – and the art, music, and film that exists at the intersection of those two cultures.

Links:

Aaleah McConnell's podcast: Exploring 3 Chambers and what it means to be a Blerd
UNCW’s Freedom of Expression policies
CFCC’s Employee Handbook
NHCS 5040 (Media Relations), 7205 (Professional Standards of Conduct)
City of Wilmington Employee Handbook
Yale Law School: MFIA Clinic Helps Journalist Uncover Jail Secrets
Cornell Law Clinic Aids Delaware County News Outlet in First Amendment Case
Brechner Center for Freedom of Information, University of Florida, ‘Protecting Sources and Whistleblowers: The First Amendment and Public Employees’ Right to Speak to the Media’ (2019 Brief)

Below: New Hanover County abridged policies

Abridged County Policies by Ben Schachtman on Scribd

The Newsroom

Benjamin Schachtman

Ben Schachtman is a journalist and editor with a focus on local government accountability. He began reporting for Port City Daily in the Wilmington area in 2016 and took over as managing editor there in 2018. He’s a graduate of Rutgers College and later received his MA from NYU and his PhD from SUNY-Stony Brook, both in English Literature. He loves spending time with his wife and playing rock'n'roll very loudly. You can reach him at BSchachtman@whqr.org and find him on Twitter @Ben_Schachtman.

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Rachel Keith

Rachel is a graduate of UNCW's Master of Public Administration program, specializing in Urban and Regional Policy and Planning. She also received a Master of Education and two Bachelor of Arts degrees in Political Science and French Language & Literature from NC State University. She served as WHQR's News Fellow from 2017-2019. Contact her by email: rkeith@whqr.org or on Twitter @RachelKWHQR

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Aaleah McConnell

Aaleah McConnell is a Report for America corps member and a recent North Carolina implant from Atlanta, Georgia. They report on the criminal justice system in New Hanover County and surrounding areas. Before joining WHQR, they completed a fellowship with the States Newsroom, as a General Assignment Reporter for the Georgia Recorder. Aaleah graduated from Kennesaw State University with a degree in journalism and minored in African and African-American Diaspora studies. In their free time, Aaleah loves roller-skating and enjoys long walks with their dog Kai. You can reach them at amcconnell@whqr.org.

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