By the time you read this I’ll be sitting in an office near Granville Island in my new life as a proposal writer.
I need a new challenge, though honestly the news business is more challenging than ever.
One of the biggest things that I wish we had is more easy access to information.
When I started here, I learned we’d been told the police were not supposed to give out names of suspects, even after they’ve been charged. This wasn’t the way I remembered it from my days covering court, and frankly anyone who watches or reads the news knows this isn’t true.
Then there’s the local school district, which hasn’t sent out a news release since I’ve been here. However, they’ve always been helpful when I’ve asked for something, but I wish they were more proactive. Never mind that most business seems to happen at committee meetings rather than the regular board meetings. This is still in public but less convenient than regular meetings.
The latest case is a Woodfibre LNG meeting with local officials and First Nations supposedly about transparency, yet the general public and media aren’t allowed in. So much for transparency.
These public institutions seem blind to that fact that anyone walking around with a cellphone now can be a “reporter.” Yet, with the glut of fake news, you’d think they would be more forthcoming with traditional media, but you’d be wrong.
As journalists, we (or “they,” by the time this gets printed) have no special powers to subpoena anyone or force people to talk. When dealing with public institutions, though, we have more leeway to keep people accountable. Except in specific circumstances, almost all meetings for these institutions are supposed to be open, as are criminal court proceedings, but if anything, the opposite is happening, and at a time when newsrooms have fewer resources.
This might be from honest oversight or mistaken assumptions we have a crystal ball. However, some of it is seems like pure evasion from the authorities.
Enough of the trench coat transparency, I say as my parting words. But this isn’t mine to worry about anymore – that task now falls to others. I hope they have more energy and patience than I do.
