Journalism Accountability

I am trying to get back to blogging. Most likely a few times per week rather than daily. But the ache of meaning pulls me back to writing. It is something I must do. Don’t know why, just do.

A few years back a few of us decided to create a community newspaper. We published weekly for 8 years. One of the features of the paper was a periodic – quarterly? – listing of the community’s main issues of interest. Of course, they came and went over time, but surprisingly the list was quite stable. It started out with 10 issues, and 8 years later it grew to 22 issues.

An example - One issue centered on a little used railroad line. It was regional but Canadian National figured it needed this line to link its east-west freight corridor to a north-south corridor reaching New Orleans. They threatened to buy the rail line. By this time, regional transportation experts were considering an outer ring suburban rail link, sort of a circular design that would intersect with all of the other commuter rail lines fanning out from central Chicago. It would allow all regions of Chicagoland to connect with each other and reduce road congestion.

This issue went on a few years, but Canadian National did buy the rail line and is now in the process of building traffic toward 26 trains per day at about one mile in length. It hopes to stretch those trains to a 2-mile length eventually. This line carries Canada’s national product to the shipping hub in New Orleans and whence to the rest of the world, mostly South America and Africa. Canada’s east-west rail line connects its eastern and western seaboard ports which connect its distribution with Europe and to all of Asia. The midwestern rail line fits into a much larger picture and means a lot to Canada.

The effect of this one issue, however, is massive. Entire communities are dealing with heavy rail traffic and what that means to residential areas and local schools. Air pollution and noise are collateral issues. As well, the regional rail interconnection is now a dead issue.

That small local paper included this issue in its ongoing coverage. Other issues focused on economic development of the immediate region, school issues, roadway and traffic projects with a long-term design, as well as so many other issues. Many were quite esoteric. All were easily overlooked and forgotten in busy lives, but the paper carried on this tradition. It paralleled the city council’s agenda list for years. It reminded voters of what was of immediate concern with a perspective of a long view. The list reminded the city that issues could not be ignored; they would come back to life and needed to be managed intelligently.

That topical listing was the newspaper’s accountability list. It did not sensationalize the short-lived readership grab, rather it presented the continual complexity of an ordinary community living its life through a list of conflicting issues.

Accountability of journalism? It goes hand in hand with accountability of local elected leaders and it also pulls the electorate into its own duty of knowing the issues when they visit the ballot box. The big picture is made up of smaller items. All are important. All require accountability from the players. But the role of journalism is central to the entire enterprise of our democratic way of life.

Yes, accountability can be expected from journalists. It makes everyone else accountable at the same time.

March 31, 2023

 

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