Embargo breakers: Early morning for the Sunlight Foundation

Okay, citizen journalists, I need you all to promise not to write about this press release, 'cause it's embargoed until Wednesday. If all the other news outlets wait for the flacks' go-ahead, Valleywag should too, right? The warning's written in big scary capitals:

FOR PLANNING PURPOSES ONLY
EMBARGOED UNTIL WEDS. APRIL 26TH AT 10 AM EDT

SUNLIGHT FOUNDATION LAUNCHES INTERNET INITIATIVES DESIGNED TO BRING TRANSPARENCY TO CONGRESS

New foundation launches Congresspedia website and unveils technology-based approach to enhancing Congressional transparency and accountability.

Full release (remember! secret until Wednesday!) after the jump. By the way, the journalist who passed me this thanks the Sunlight Foundation for spamming it up informing the world.

Another day, another embargo — it's an annoyingly common practice in politics, tech, and business. Got an embargoed release in your inbox (or, of course, your spam filter)? Set it free — forward to tips@valleywag.com before the expiration publication date.

---

> From: Jay Strell > Date: April 24, 2006 11:45:45 AM PDT > To: Foo Bar > Subject: Sunlight Foundation launch: Press conference call on Wed > 4/26 at 10 AM EDT > > --> > *MEDIA ADVISORY*

>
>
> FOR PLANNING PURPOSES ONLY
> EMBARGOED UNTIL WEDS. APRIL 26TH AT 10 AM EDT
>
> SUNLIGHT FOUNDATION LAUNCHES INTERNET INITIATIVES DESIGNED TO BRING
> TRANSPARENCY TO CONGRESS
>
> New foundation launches Congresspedia website and unveils
> technology-based approach to enhancing Congressional transparency
> and accountability.
>
> WHAT: Taking the famous words of Supreme Court Justice Louis
> Brandeis "Sunlight is the best of disinfectants" as its guiding
> principle, the Sunlight Foundation will harness the power of the
> Internet to bring an unparalleled degree of transparency and
> accountability to Congress. It will launch its effort in a press
> conference call on April 26th at 10 AM EDT. Dial-in information
> listed below.
>
> Sunlight's formation and approach come at a time when the public's
> discontent with Congress and lawmakers nears a high water mark.
> Citizens believe that Democrats and Republicans are equally
> responsible for corruption in Congress and do not think that
> current ethics reforms proposals go far enough, according to a new
> Sunlight poll that will be released.. The recently conducted poll
> results also demonstrate that the public favors, by sweeping
> margins, regardless of party affiliation, greater transparency for
> elected officials.
>
> On April 26th, the Sunlight Foundation, which seeks to empower
> citizens to shine a brighter light on corruption in Congress, will:
> · Discuss its goals and objectives as an organization
> dedicated to using the Internet and information technology to
> promote openness in Congress.
> · Announce its first series of grants to promote transparency
> in Congress.
> · Launch its Congresspedia website, in partnership with the
> Center for Media and Democracy.
> · Announce the results from a new bipartisan poll conducted
> by Celinda Lake and Ed Goeas on public perceptions of current
> congressional "ethics" reform efforts and their support for greater
> Congressional transparency.
>
> WHO: On hand and available for interviews will be:
> · Ellen Miller, Executive Director, Sunlight Foundation
> · Michael Klein, Chairman, Sunlight Foundation
> · Celinda Lake, Lake Research Partners and Ed Goeas, The
> Tarrance Group
> · Sheldon Rampton, Research Director, Center for Media and
> Democracy
> · Bill Allison, Investigative journalist and editor, Sunlight
> blogger
> · Larry Makinson, Veteran money and politics researcher,
> Sunlight blogger
> · Micah Sifry/Andrew Rasiej, Personal Democracy Consultants,
> Tech advisors to Sunlight
>
> WHEN: 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM EDT, Wednesday, April 26, 2006
>
> WHERE: BY TELECONFERENCE CALL OR AT
> The Sunlight Foundation, 901 15th Street NW, Suite 350, Washington,
> DC 20005
>
> DIAL IN: Reporters able to dial-in, listen and participate.
> Teleconference Access Number: 866-239-0753 Confirmation Code: 4110008
>
> LOG IN: There will be an online demonstration of Congresspedia,
> which can be accessed by logging into
> http://url.netspoke.com/go/?k=fc3c446760ca4dc48550c13f01d5fecc

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