I received an e-mail a couple of weeks ago.
It began, “When it comes to B.C.’s child welfare system, we’re telling the same story on repeat — about a ‘broken system’ that spits out broken kids. There’s truth to this narrative, but it’s hardly the whole story. We, a group of Vancouver-based journalists, have been listening to people through surveys, workshops, etc. We’re learning that our collective focus on the tragic serves to further marginalize, stigmatize and divide people.
“What if we dug a little deeper, together? We’re inviting B.C. journalists to join us for Child Welfare Media Day — by committing to publishing a story about B.C.’s child welfare system on Nov. 22.
“The idea is to extend our reach and deepen our impact by coordinating our coverage.”
Like anyone with a heart, I care about kids in our social welfare system and welcome the chance to do something that may ease their plight.
But that’s not all that intrigues me here.
First, it’s calling on journalists and their outlets to be advocates. By choosing a topic and flooding various media platforms, we are intentionally trying to create a tipping point, a point where public perception shifts to create an inevitable wave of change.
This in itself challenges the notion of journalists as objective observers “just reporting the news.”
Frankly, I find the challenge refreshing, because the fact is, we’re never “just reporting the news.”
While it’s incumbent upon us to ensure our coverage is thorough, honest and fair, what we determine to be news in the first place is always the product of opinion, perception and a particular world view.
The other curious thing about this project is the sense of cooperation. Journalists and their media outlets aren’t known to be all sharesy, sharesy when it comes to news stories. But sharing is the mantra of Discourse Media, the organization that is behind this Media Day.
“We believe the news industry can do a better job of serving Canadians if media work together rather than competing for the same breaking news,” says its website.
But what grabs me the most is the focus on solutions — not children whose lives have gone horribly wrong thanks to policies of benign neglect or White Knights, who dedicate themselves to rescue missions. Rather, it’s about programs and people who are making things work, and how. In trying to resolve any issue, we get further ahead by fanning flames of success, however small, than gawking at the smoldering wreckage of failure, however massive.
It would be great to think that a deluge of media coverage this Wednesday will be the seminal moment when child welfare in B.C. transforms from a “broken system with broken kids” to one of hope, compassion and possibility. Who knows, but I can tell you the Richmond News is in.
Watch for reporter Graeme Wood’s story in Wednesday’s issue, not to mention child welfare stories in a host of other media. While, I admit, it goes against my grain to say that last part, this whole project is about going against the grain.
But if we don’t do something different, how can we expect different results?
