From the Coloradoan (Fort Collins):  Bianka, my 11-year-old daughter, was trying her usual best not to go to bed at a decent hour. Since we were watching the Academy Awards, and we both had just been wowed by Lady Gaga’s powerful performance of a song about abuse, I let her keep watching, mostly so I would have a witness when I confidently predicted “Spotlight” would win as Best Picture.

“Way to go, Dad,” Bianka exclaimed as the cast and crew of “Spotlight” leaped up on stage to claim the Oscar for a movie detailing how investigative reporters at the Boston Globe worked diligently to expose a sex abuse scandal involving Catholic priests.

I had watched the movie a week earlier when it finally made its way to the $1.99 budget cinema. Later, I discussed the movie with another longtime journalist, who thought the movie dragged on a bit. I disagreed.

“I enjoyed that tedious, drudge work,” I said about the reporters tracking down sources, conducting difficult interviews and combing through public records. It reminded me of my time as a reporter checking public records at city halls, school districts, courthouses. It wasn’t glamorous work then or now, but it has always been important work, vital to a democracy.

We need watchdogs to keep their eyes on powerful institutions in society. Let’s face it, the powerful always prefer to do their business out of public view, and would rather not be bothered by those pesky reporters acting on behalf of the public.

Thankfully, we still have journalists who still think it’s a pretty good idea to watch how governments, courts, schools, universities, and other public entities are behaving. Democracy demands that we know what powerful institutions are up to.

That’s where the so-called Sunshine laws come into play. These laws protecting Freedom of Information, open meetings and open records, are vital tools that journalists and the public utilize to help ensure that the public’s business is conducted openly.

Visit the Coloradoan for more.