The New England First Amendment Coalition, a regional right-to-know organization, is offering a session on ways to deepen your coverage of political candidates and, in a nod to Sunshine Week, a primer on how to find out what your government is up to.

March 9, University of Southern Maine, Portland, 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

How to use investigative techniques and FOI laws to research candidates.

    Free and open to the public, the workshop features Mark Horvit, executive director of Investigative Reporters and Editors, who will talk about using social media and little known websites to gather information on candidates.

   Sigmund Schutz, legal counsel to the Maine Press Association, will discuss using freedom of information laws to research the candidates' backgrounds.

   Horvit and Schutz will then join Irwin Gratz of the Maine Public Broadcasting Network and Tony Ronzio of the Sun Media Group in a panel discussion and Q&A.

   Lunch will follow.   

   The Abromson Community Education Center, Room 109,  is at 88 Bedford St., Portland.

   Joining NEFAC in sponsoring this event are the Maine Freedom of Information Coalition the Maine Press Association, the Maine Association of Broadcasters and the free press of USM. 

March 14, Nackey S. Loeb School of Communications, Manchester, N.H., 5 - 7 p.m.  

An overview of public records and open meeting laws in New Hampshire.

    Also free and open to the public, the workshop features right-to-know attorney Gregory V. Sullivan and Jeffrey Strelzin, senior assistant state attorney general and Homicide Unit chief.

   Light refreshments will be served 

   The Loeb School is at 749 East Industrial Park Dr.,  Manchester.

   This event is co-sponsored by the Loeb School and the New Hampshire Press Association. 

   Sunshine Week, March 11-17, is a non-partisan, national initiative to promote a dialogue about the importance of open government and freedom of information. Participants include news media, civic groups, libraries, nonprofits, schools and others interested in the public's right to know.  It was launched by the America Society of News Editors in 2005. ASNE was joined last year by the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press as national co-coordinator.