A few weeks back, my editor, Eve Edmonds, mused at the fact she put her reporter’s hat back on for a school board meeting.
She forgot her pen. It’s a tough gig.
On Tuesday night, the real McCoy returned to cover another important meeting.
This one was a bit different, however, and it reminded me why journalism is still critically important, despite industry struggles.
Juggling my pen, notepad, camera and cellphone, I arrived to hear trustees denounce the school closure process. One reason cited was a letter to the editor, written by local MLAs, who made some lofty — and arguably imprecise — promises (page 16).
Two trustees held up the Richmond News to show their “golden ticket.”
Point being, following countless articles on school closures and a letters page that gave citizens a voice, the News was a relevant factor in fostering discourse between trustees, the public and local politicians on a critically important subject.
It had done its job.
It was also refreshing to see regional media attend the board meeting because a vibrant, diverse fifth estate — fed by local news outlets — is important to democracy.
As comedian/pundit John Oliver noted recently: “The media is a food chain, which would fall apart without local newspapers.”
Consider how many Richmond stories you read about on “news” websites such as DailyHive, or see on TV, that originate from the desk of a local news reporter. I’ve yet to spot a digital reporter at a committee meeting (but I hope to soon). Those meetings may not be thrilling, but they are what help keep the public informed and politicians accountable.
And just look at the ripple effect Globe and Mail reporter Kathy Tomlinson’s investigative work on real estate has had on other outlets, least to mention the effect on policy and regulatory changes.
Oliver notes industry trends can be reversed, at least in part, by its readers.
It may be time to consider buying that online story. Or, click on and share that original (News) story first, not the “repackaged” one.
Local newspapers are essential for healthy community dialogue. If we don’t support them, we run the risk of being fed a diluted brand of “news,” by government public relations masters and self-accredited, private-interest lobbyists.
As The Wire creator and former Baltimore Sun reporter David Simon told a U.S. Senate hearing, in 2009, with regards to losses in local journalism: “There’s no glory in that kind of journalism, but that is the bedrock of what keeps...
“God, the next 10-15 years in this country are going to be a halcyon era for state and local political corruption.”
Graeme Wood is a reporter for the Richmond News
