The Role of Media in Developing Communities

*****TRANSFORMING CLIENTS INTO CITIZENS******

Informed Citizens Necessary in a Free Society

Every form of media needs to play a meaningful role in empowering citizens to participate effectively in the enlightened governance of society. They perform this function by ensuring citizens are informed about issues, consider alternative viewpoints and have access to information about what government and private groups are planning, doing and/or not doing in our communities.

The communities in Shelburne County rely heavily on local and provincial newspapers and other published sources, as well as radio and television. Since the only truly local media outlet in Shelburne County is the weekly newspaper, the Coast Guard, ..... I believe ..... they have a special burden to keep informed and share news and information with the citizens of Shelburne County. Other traditional media sources that are not based in Shelburne County provide little coverage of news from Shelburne County and provide precious little analysis of news-worthy items effecting local residents in the County.

I conclude from my own review that the Coast Guard has failed in its responsibilities to our communities in Shelburne County and local citizens. That conclusion is supported in my view by their failure to publish a recent letter I'd sent to the editor. Their decision not to publish or act upon my note to them confirms my assessment of their failure to meet the obligation bestowed upon thme by their privileged position in our community. Below is a copy of the email sent to the Editor of the Coast Guard a couple of weeks ago.... you draw your own conclusions about their reasons for not publishing the letter or the Deputy Minister's letter.......

"

Adelard Cayer
Sat, Jul 25, 2009 at 11:47 AM
To: Greg Bennett

Dear Mr.
Editor:

I've read with some interest the Coast Guard's recent
stories respecting SWSDA and the review being conducted by
municipalities of their relationship with SWSDA. In my view, it would have
been helpful to your readers if you had followed the old journalists' maxim that
a good story answers six questions - who, what, when, where,why and how. Had
your reporters done so, they would have referred to the recent letter
from the Deputy Minister of Economic Development to SWSDA, its
management and its Board of Directors. In my view, his letter has prompted the
present reviews. In that correspondence the Deputy Minister made a number of
points that are germane to your articles.

First, the Deputy's
letter advises SWSDA that, if it wishes to continue to receive core funding
as an RDA, it will have to incorporate under the RDA Act before the end of
March. Second, the Deputy points out in his letter that the RDA Act provides for
the creation of RDAs at the request of a municipality or group of
municipalities. For some time now, politicians and bureaucrats have advised
folks in Shelburne that, notwithstanding the provisions of the Act, the Province
would never approve an independent RDA for municipalities of Shelburne County.
The Deputy Minister's letter dismisses this misinformation and invites requests
for the creation of RDAs. Third, the Deputy points out that, in keeping
with the intent of the Act, he is looking for proposals that would ensure the
Board provides representation from the community at large and local businesses,
pointing out that the new RDA's Board should not be composed solely of
politicians.

While there is much more that could have been
reflected in your articles to date respecting this dramatic change in the
structures that will guide our local development in the future, your reporters'
failure to even mention this correspondence or provide details about
this background information seriously reduces the completeness of your
articles on this subject.

With these points in mind I hope you
will consider providing a more complete review and report dealing
with the issues associated with these upcoming changes. This is too
important an opportunity to bring about transformative change to be left in
the hands of politicians alone without the benefit of public consultations.

Yours very truly

-- A. A. "Ed" CayerPO Box 995, # 109
Water Street Shelburne, Nova Scotia B0T 1W0Tel 902-875-3870, Cell 902-512-0052Fax
Toll Free 1-877-786-4704email: aacayer@gmail.com"