I have always believed in the power of the written word.
Whether it supports/promotes the ideals/values of a society or exposes/confronts the designs/deeds of dictators/tyrants, the written word provides a forever record that even banning or burning can never succeed to permanently eliminate.
In fact, as many of the readers of this blog know, although I spent 26 years with BCTV, I got my own start in journalism in “print”, and never considered myself a “TV type”, but a print reporter “doing tv”.
What many do not know is I had my first “report” published/printed when I was only 11 … a “review” of a kids book for a Children’s Page in a newspaper. (I still have it! 😁)
I was bitten by the “printed word” bug.
After that, there were articles on those kids’ pages on many topics (Life in a Winter Storm etc.), then Letters to the Editor of the Montreal Star, articles in Sir George Williams University’s newspaper, industrial journalism at C-I-L … and finally, writing for the “dailies” in Saskatoon, Regina and Vancouver… with increasing emphasis over the years on covering politics.
And NEVER losing the love and respect for the written word. NEVER.
The current BC election coverage reinforces my feelings.
TV has the potential for bringing the viewer right into an event: you are there … live or within minutes! Followed by almost instantaneous expert analysis and public reactions.
But not in this BC election.
Times are tough: staff has been cut; coverage has been decimated … now often dominated by press conferences, with little competition to set the “people’s” agenda, instead just providing “analysis” mostly done “in studio” or by Zoom or, worse, by another member of their own staff, from behind a desk. Yech!
Radio is often even worse: mostly coverage of press conferences too, short phone interviews or in-studio talk show “plunges”that rarely go beyond the shallow end of the pool.
Print, however, soldiers on!
Also beset by choking cuts by their corporate owners and the resulting constraints on their product, real reporters, real writers and real journalists continue to try to ply their trade (when they’re not weeping for what has happened to their industry.)
Which brings me to a really enlightening column recently by The Vancouver Sun’s Vaughn Palmer.
In just two paragraphs, he shone the spotlight on what should be a HUGE concern of voters in the current BC election, but has been glossed over or even ignored…
“When David Eby took office just two years ago, he inherited an almost $6 billion surplus from his predecessor John Horgan. He promptly spent most of it, then plunged the province back into the red,” Palmer explained.
“Nor is an end in sight. The updated Eby plan calls for the debt to increase to $151 billion next year and $173 billion the year after that.”
You can read Palmer’s full article here: https://vancouversun.com/opinion/columnists/ndp-spending-spree-pushes-bc-deficit-even-higher-with-no-end-in-sight.
Just consider the importance and implications of those numbers … for not just current BC taxpayers but future generations as well.
Certainly of much more critical impact than much of the crud the party leaders, their strategists and their spokespersons are serving up daily on platters … to be gobbled down and regurgitated by the tv and radio “news” media each day!
While the much more strategic issue pointed to by Palmer is unwittingly … and maybe even willfully … ignored?
The CBC last week published on their website a list/discussion of Issues in BC’s election: the economy (resources,taxes,infrastructure); education; environment; climate change; health care; child care; Indigenous relationships; housing, mental health and addictions; public safety; and, seniors … but NOT the debt or the deficit!
(Read their coverage of the issues they listed here: https://newsinteractives.cbc.ca/features/2024/british-columbia-party-platforms/#intro.)
Former Newfoundland PremierBrian Peckford, who now lives in BC, in an article published on the Easton Spectator, took note of the glaring omission of the debt/deficit in the CBC’s list of “issues” and, I would add, absence also from most of the radio/tv media coverage: BC’s huge growing deficits and debt!!!
”How bad are we being served? This shows you in spades,” Peckford wrote.
“Everywhere, more money, nowhere any savings to pay for the extra spending. All obviously money that will have to be borrowed,“ the retired Premier noted.
Where is the radio/tv coverage/pursuit/demands for answers on this critical issue?
Leaving it for the print media?
Saturday’s Vancouver Sun at least tried.
The newspaper carried a major feature on the parties’ policies and asked: “Does your government have a plan to balance the budget? If so, how and when?”
NONE of the leaders really addressed the issue in their responses.
Why should they! Politicians … especially those seeking election … love to just make spending promises: let future administrations and generations figure out how to pay for it!
And our media …. or most of them … are letting them get away with it this election!
It used to be the media forced politicians to answer the tough questions …like growing spending and mounting deficits … but, sadly, with a few rare exceptions, not any more.
Except for those few real reporters… still working their craft in print.
Harv Oberfeld
(Follow @harveyoberfeld on “X” for FREE First Alerts to new postings on this blog.)