You may have noticed that while the Observer has covered meetings of the Downtown Salmon Arm (which used to go by the moniker the Downtown Improvement Association) for more than 15 years, there has been a decided lack of coverage in the past few months.
This is not of our choosing, but a new policy instituted by the organization which bans media from reporting on their meetings. Saying a media presence stifles discussion and they would prefer a more informal, collegial style of meeting for their volunteer board members, Downtown Salmon Arm informed us they wish to provide information to us after meetings and allow a reporter to review this with their manager. This essentially removes any independent scrutiny of the organization.
The Observer is a member of this organization, as are all businesses within the specified boundary set out and approved by city council. Membership within the mapped boundary is required, and businesses must pay the levy to the city to support Downtown Salmon Arm’s mandate whether they want to or not. There is no opting out. Downtown Salmon Arm argues they are an independent organization, while we believe them to be an arm of the city that levies a tax on members.
The Observer has been informed by city administration that we are welcome at any city committee meeting. No, we do not attend every meeting of every committee, but we make every effort to cover things we think are of public interest. We believe Downtown Salmon Arm plays a critical role in our city, not only for its members, but for the entire community. With the advent of SmartCentres and other shopping developments, the vibrancy of the downtown and its commercial operations is a significant issue for the entire community.
The directors have now decided they are uncomfortable with media presence at their discussions. The group, like other city committees, already holds in-camera sessions where matters regarding employment or legal issues can be discussed privately. We respect that, but feel that open discussion of other matters is warranted. While they insist their meetings are open to any member who wishes to attend, they also insist the media is no longer entitled to report on what transpires.
In our mind, meetings are either open or closed. It is ridiculous to suggest that a member could attend the forum, listen to what was said and then not discuss it. In this day and age, any member could go to the meeting and tweet, blog, comment on Facebook or even write a letter to the editor about what transpired. We are being excluded because we have a circulation. Therefore, as a member of both this organization and the public, we intend to continue covering Downtown Salmon Arm meetings. We have been informed we have a right to attend as a member and we will not back down from reporting.
Is this awkward and uncomfortable? Yes.
But if all journalists stepped away from covering situations that were awkward and uncomfortable, would we be doing our job? Would the communities they serve be better, more informed and educated places?
We don’t think so.
In an effort to provide balanced coverage of this issue, the Observer offered Downtown Salmon Arm the opportunity to comment on their policy with an equal amount of free space in our paper. We did not receive a reply.