Community reporting is unique as a vocation in that the people entrusted with reporting on local affairs usually do so for a very long time and at very close distance. Borough administrations and public relations personnel usually know the press by name and often develop such relations of inter-dependence that it’s sometimes hard to establish an atmosphere of impartiality and objectivity.
Residents often accuse us of taking sides, of being too lenient with local boroughs, of presenting their point of view, but what they don’t realize is that, as News Director for five papers covering five distinct areas, I get just as many complaints from City and borough officials and public relations staff, complaining that we often neglect to prioritize their press releases and news releases. It’s a thankless task some days, because, by its very definition, news reporting will never satisfy everyone, since everyone, through no fault of their own, is already biased and has preconceived notions of what “their” truth and their “priorities” are.
Journalism’s first and most important function is to inform. Much of the information of interest to readers is disseminated from cities and boroughs and it’s our job to help them disseminate it. What some readers may perceive as “bias” is really us prioritizing information that is official, has passed through the proper channels of discussion and debate, and already has a stamp of approval on it, via council meetings. Your local councillors and mayor have been elected to do a job and it’s counter-productive for us, and you as residents, if we question every decision made. They must be given the courtesy and the benefit of the doubt.
That being said, while journalism’s first function is to inform, its second is to criticize. Without information there is no basis for criticism and without criticism there is no democracy. As Winston Churchill once noted, "Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfills the same function of pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things."
Without information there is no basis for criticism and without criticism there is no democracy. -
Democracy is founded on the ability to make an informed decision, and that’s why it’s our responsibility to always ask for multiple sources, to present both (and in many cases, multiple) sides of the coin, allowing for all voices to be heard. It’s why readers are encouraged to speak their minds, submit their thoughts in print and why a specific page has been allocated in all our papers for letters. I encourage you to have your say and I sincerely welcome it.
Over the years there has been an increasing trend of distrust in the media’s reliability to report the news accurately and in an unbiased fashion. It bears repeating that the press is not a special interest group; it’s the “fourth estate” – the primary means by which the public is kept abreast of the activities of its elected officials. Prime Minister Stephen Harper has justifiably been criticized for the way he keeps the press at arm’s length and limits his daily encounters with them. He needs to remember that both the government (at any level) and we (the media) have the same bosses: the public.
Yes, public scrutiny can be messy and aggravating for council members, it can sometimes be cumbersome and retard decision-making (not that it appears to be any quicker when they don't involve the public), but it's also essential because, ultimately, it is the community that must live with the consequences of each decision made by elite 'experts' and politicians. They need to tolerate and even welcome questions brought forth by the media, and then, they need to listen to the questions posed.
Canadian journalist and media commentator extraordinaire, Rex Murphy, once said: “Not every article in every magazine or newspaper is meant to be a valentine card addressed to every reader's self-esteem." Very true. Now replace the word “reader” with “politician” and you’ve got some solid advice for elected officials, as well.
