“There is nothing that’s more important in a democracy than a well-informed electorate. When there’s no information or, much worse, wrong information, it can lead to calamitous decisions and clobber any attempts at vigorous debate.”
MacKenzie McHale, The Newsroom
Season One, Episode One
The quote to open this post comes from a show that captured my imagination earlier this summer about my chosen profession and has acted as a call to arms for the way I want us – The Voice – to cover this upcoming municipal election.
I simply love The Newsroom. The cadence of the dialogue is remarkable. Its examination, not only of current events, but also of the way those events are conveyed to the public by the media, is of obvious interest to me. The show has served as a booster shot of journalistic idealism and focus.
There are issues, policies, myths and philosophies that need to be flushed out leading up to this municipal election. You can’t cover them all in one newspaper per week and you certainly cannot provide all the required context and perspective within that medium. Also, there are limits to how much you can add one’s personal insights or opinions in the newspaper.
