The informal, out-of-court methods used by newspaper editors to open up and to keep open the public meetings and records of their communities were investigated in this paper. The findings of a 1974 national survey of 352 city editors indicated that the size of newspaper circulation was a significant factor in determining the editors' attitudes toward dealing with governmental secrecy. Details of this survey are outlined, and the implications for the city official/newspaper relationship suggested by these findings are discussed in a section headed "Keeping 'em Honest." The importance of the development of diplomatic, yet assertive, strategies is stressed in "Training Reporters." Finally, the role of public opinion in local government reporting and the newspaper's own function in promoting official secrecy are examined. (KS)