Limiting questions lets government control dialogue
By Lethbridge Herald on April 22, 2023.
OUR OPINION
In today’s political climate, democracy is at considerable risk in many jurisdictions across Alberta, Canada and the world.
Democracy (not a democratic party) can only be maintained in a society when elected officials can be held accountable by their constituents/residents when they have access to informed reporting through reputable media outlets.
For many decades, traditional media (newspapers, television and radio) has been, and still is the most trusted source of reporting to their community and with their respective constituents.
In the past two decades, digital media has become a significant source of information to the people of all areas in the world. The new digital media has many legitimate, trusted digital outlets that do provide valuable reporting and insight that people can rely on – however, in recent years we have seen a proliferation of social media outlets that have become popular and considered as mainstream media.
What has also become evident during the past number of years is that – while there are reputable digital media outlets – there are many, many digital media outlets that only exist to perpetuate false narrative to create confusion and mislead people to believe their false information is fact when it is anything but fact.
Government’s recent restriction on questioning limits does not promote open and honest dialogue. These restrictions allow government to control the message and no longer allows for residents of Alberta to access real fact-based reporting on the government’s decisions and actions.
There is a long held wisdom that when a government shows you its true character through their actions … believe that character, not how they try to evade that truth.
9-8
And has been said, Premier Smith does not know when to stop talking, to her detriment, so her handlers have restricted her taking questions.
To say that “traditional media (newspapers, television and radio) has been, and still is the most trusted source of reporting to their community and with their respective constituents” is, at the least, misleading your readership. Anyone reading a variety of Canadian media is aware that every year millions of dollars are pumped into legacy media in this country in order to keep the Liberal/NDP government’s narrative front and centre in citizens’ minds. It would be humourous if it wasn’t so sad that any responsible newspaper editor would say that Canadians have access to fair and balanced news and commentary. The situation is about to get worse, thanks to Trudeau’s Bill C-11, which will push independent news sources so far down browser reference lists as to eliminate it. If we are afraid to tell each other the truth about lack of transparency in much of the news fed to readers, we arrive, finally, at a dictatorship. Limiting information lets government control citizens.
Anyone who goes along with this paranoid pile of crap ‘mrhb’ has posted needs their head examined.
I’d much rather see them kick those out that they don’t think are accredited media, eh Rachael. Don’t want anyone questioning your rhetoric or agenda, but but but Smith.
What, pray tell, is the issue here? Are we speaking about recently passed Federal Bill C-11 or some particular incident or sequence of event(s)? Media, particular social, is and will always be skewed as will newspapers, radio, television and various forms of advertising. Is there a suggestion in this writing that it is wrong to limit questioning, particularly from media? If so, I call BS! Does a politically slanted media (of any sort) “trump” opportunities of individuals who have questions to ask? I say “absolutely NOT!” Democracy is the indeed the rights and freedoms of the individual, media and the like, most certainly do NOT speak for individuals. Media always skew their “question(s)” towards their own agenda, usually politically motivated. Regarding this writing, “Boo Hoo, suck it up princess”!