Wyoming newspapers launch Benjamin Franklin Award for Open Government to celebrate the nation’s 250th anniversary

CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Wyoming’s newspapers are launching a new statewide recognition in 2026 to honor local governments that demonstrate an exceptional commitment to transparency and accountability.

The Benjamin Franklin Award for Open Government will be announced monthly throughout 2026 by the Wyoming Press Association and its member newspapers as part of Wyoming’s celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States. The award will recognize cities, counties, boards, and other local governmental entities that go above and beyond legal requirements to keep public business open and residents well informed.

Named for Benjamin Franklin — printer, publisher, and Founding Father — the award draws on Franklin’s famous warning that the United States would remain “a republic, if you can keep it,” underscoring the idea that self-government depends on an informed public and open decision-making.

“This recognition is about celebrating local officials who understand that transparency is not a burden, but a responsibility,” said Bob Bonnar, campaign director and past president of the Wyoming Press Association. “Benjamin Franklin believed strongly that a free press and an informed public were essential to keeping the republic. Two-hundred-fifty years later, that principle still holds — especially at the local level, where government decisions affect people most directly.”

Bonnar, publisher of the News Letter Journal and a recipient of the WPA Freedom of Information Award, said the campaign is intended to shine a positive light on governments that consistently operate in the open and work constructively with local news outlets to keep residents informed.

“Wyoming newspapers cover public meetings, budgets, and decisions year after year because local information matters,” Bonnar said. “This award recognizes the officials who respect that role and who make transparency a priority for their communities.”

Joshua Wood, president of the Wyoming Press Association, said the award reflects a core value shared by newspapers across the state.

“Strong communities need reliable local information and open government,” Wood said. “The Benjamin Franklin Award highlights the best examples of local governments that understand the value of transparency and accountability, and who actively work to keep their residents informed. That kind of leadership deserves recognition.”

Steve Kiggins, executive director of the Wyoming Press Association, said the year-long campaign also emphasizes the historic role of local newspapers in public accountability.

“For generations, Wyoming newspapers have helped ensure that public business stays public,” Kiggins said. “This award reinforces that mission by celebrating cooperation, openness, and respect for the public’s right to know — values that go back to the founding of our country.”

Local governments recognized with the Benjamin Franklin Award for Open Government will be nominated by their local newspapers or by statewide associations and selected by the Wyoming Press Association Legislative Committee. Each honoree will be featured in a monthly, quarter-page advertisement published in newspapers across Wyoming during 2026.

The year-long recognition will operate under the theme “Keeping the Republic: 250 Years of Transparency,” tying Franklin’s warning to modern expectations that public business be conducted openly and residents have access to reliable local information.

The campaign is designed to complement Wyoming’s broader America 250 observances by highlighting a foundational principle of the nation’s founding: that freedom and self-government endure only when citizens have access to reliable information and government operates in the open.

About the Benjamin Franklin Award for Open Government 

The Benjamin Franklin Award for Open Government is a statewide recognition presented monthly in 2026 by the Wyoming Press Association and its member newspapers as part of Wyoming’s celebration of America’s 250th anniversary. Named for Benjamin Franklin — printer, publisher, and Founding Father — the award honors Wyoming local governments that demonstrate outstanding transparency and accountability by keeping public business open and residents well informed. Honorees are nominated by local newspapers or statewide associations and selected by the Wyoming Press Association Legislative Committee.