• by Ray Schultz , April 30, 2023

The challenge of moving local public notices online has been partially solved, at least in a couple of places: The North Carolina Press Association (NCPA) has endorsed the Illinois Press Association’s web platform as its partner for aggregating statewide public notices for North Carolina Newspapers. 

Now aggregated in one central location are public notices from local municipalities, county governments, school districts, and other public agencies within the state.  

The Illinois Press Association's web platform features an interface that allows users to search and filter public notices by location, date, and keywords. It also provides notifications and updates on new public notices.

"It's an efficient and effective solution that streamlines the process of accessing public notices, helping to foster transparency and accountability in government operations," says Phil Lucey, executive director of NCPA.

Don Craven, president and CEO of the Illinois Press Association, said the platform is used “by 19 Press Associations and growing.”  

Craven adds, “Our platform upholds the principles of a public notice. Notices should be published by an independent third party, should be archivable, should be verifiable, and should be accessible.”