Editor:
A few days ago a young woman was stabbed to death on a Charlotte, N.C. light rail train. The Charlotte mayor issued the following statement. “I want to thank our media partners and community members who have chosen not to repost or share the footage out of respect for Iryna’s family.”
While this statement might seem innocent, it is not. The mayor seems to think the media is just another one of her bureaucratic entities. But the media should never be that close to government, at any level!
The media’s role is to be an independent watchdog, holding government to account. A friendly, but respectfully adversarial relationship ensures journalists can report objectively, challenge authority, and in doing so, protect the public interest.
During my 19-year tenure as Police Chief, I often participated in this friendly, but professionally skeptical relationship. I held an important position of public trust. But so did the local media and Alex Paul, Sean Morgan and Scott Swanson did it well. Maybe the national media could learn from them?
Robert (Bob) Burford
Sweet Home