Whaling City Information - - Mass Open Meeting Law causes politicians concerns state wide

Sep 11 2008

Mass Open Meeting Law causes politicians concerns state wide

Written by Dave Gould

Thursday, 11 September 2008

A strong democracy depends on information and knowledge. The more sources of information we have, the greater our knowledge. The greater our knowledge, the more intelligently we can select our representatives in government at all levels, and the better we can guide their decisions. - Common Cause, Aug 2008

NEW BEDFORD -Opinion; It is without argument that the Internet and the instant access to news from more sources than ever before has raised the day to day pool of knowledge to a level that has never been seen before. Suddenly, anyone with a computer a smidgen of Internet savvy can become a reporter on the world stage. This same person can write articles, record a audio program, take pictures and make video. It is such a pervasive and popular thing to do that all major news sources have their own version of CNN's iReport. The big boys have recognized that they can not cover this complex and expanding world by themselves and has extended an invitation to all living souls to participate.

The media cannot play its role effectively unless it is independent from government influence. A variety of sources of information, independent of each other, is essential as well. On many issues, media outlets will to varying degrees reflect the interests of their individual owners. Real objectivity may always be elusive, but a variety of information sources available and accessible to the public ensures most necessary information is in the dialogue. Oppositely, there is real danger when there are fewer sources responsible for informing us. - Common Cause, Aug 2008

It is this access to information that has politicians on edge. At both conventions, especially during the Republican convention, reporters were arrested and maced for something as benign as standing on the sidewalk outside of hotels. The Boston City Council is attempting to exempt themselves from the Massachusetts open meeting law because they think citizen involvement and blogger reports are distracting. Our own Mayor Lang, uncomfortable with the activist media lashed out at New Bedford citizen Tom Desroser when he legally set up his video recorder at the most recent school committee meeting. In hours Barak Obama and lipsticked pigs were all the rage and before you can say nanosecond, the world gasped when John McCain picked Sarah Palin. News and access to news is a different game than even just four years ago; the unethical politicians are feeling the heat.

The only industry explicitly protected in the Bill of Rights of the United States Constitution is the media. The reason is fundamental: In a healthy democracy, those who disseminate information must not be fettered in their role of holding government accountable. The founders of our country understood this and made sure that “freedom of the press” was clearly stated in the highest law of the land. - Common Cause, Aug 2008

Our Constitution protects the media, but does not define the press beyond its known existence at the time of the American Revolution. The First Amendment of the Bill of Rights reads as follows — Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. — What congress could not have envisioned was a communication system so efficient, you no longer needed a printing press to get your ideas across the globe. The Massachusetts Open Meeting law is designed to ensure the First Amendment is respected and followed by our 351 municipal bodies. As for the press, this is a definition in flux. The populace at large views the current main stream media with a wary eye because of it's seeming closeness to radical agendas. Even our own local news paper is not above the advocation of ideas that are ludicrous or unpopular to some citizens; but that is their right. It is the reader who has to decide whether the information is relevant. It is the duty of any journalist, paid or volunteer, to be accurate. It is this accuracy that the modern press is accused of tampering with. Such tampering is more commonly known as only telling half the story.

One of the most important “needs and interests of communities” is informing viewers about what is going on in their local politics so that voters have the information they need to participate in their local elections and to communicate with their elected officials. However, the amount of time that local broadcasters spend on local politics, even campaigns close to an election day, is far from adequate – Common Cause, Aug 2008

Because the so called professional media is perceived as either overwhelmed or severely slanted, it has been the citizen blogger who has taken up the slack. Citizen bloggers on a good day are referred to as heroes, on a bad day they are scorned by the paid press on most days they are written off as big mouthed community activists, which is always said to imply something lacking or something radical. Barak Obama and his followers use his community activism as a reason for him to be president. John McCain uses the term toward Barak Obama as a disqualifying trait to be president. Municipaities love community activists who help old people and children. Municipalities do what they can to belittle or minimize politically minded community activists, usually with the assistance of the paid media. It all simply depends where you are standing.

On the national stage, it is entertaining to watch the main stream media minimize the important issues in favor of lipstick and elk hunting. It is the local media, be it talk radio, bloggers or unpaid media that attempts to get to the meat of any message as it may affect them. What should scare everyone is when government starts deciding who will be the media or whether the people should have access to the peoples business at all. The Boston City Council has taken the first step in testing the waters of censorship. This has not been received well. David Alves tried unsuccessfully to limit access two years ago and found his toes were not only stepped on but crushed. Mayor Scott W. Lang too received a good whipping for his actions at Monday's School Committee Meeting. Both actions were not caused by the main stream press, but by local bloggers who have exposed the improper workings of our elected and appointed officials. Politicians do not fear main stream media, they fear those they cannot easily control. But they try. Hopefully, the US Constitution and the power of the people will allow the press to move into the 21st century with a more informed public and more honest political structure.

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Last Updated ( Thursday, 11 September 2008 )