The Eagle had published an editorial not long ago about the importance of communication, and how open dialogue is important in the community, both between residents and local newspapers.
This second installment was incited by the notion that a simple question deserves a simple answer, but with today’s cautious approach to any type of inquiry, we have to ask, why? Where has this standoffishness stemmed from?
The Eagle posed a simple request last week to a Cochrane business that was going to soon be reopening, asking its general manager when the store would close and subsequently open its doors once again. The answer to this simple question was inexplicably dodged, and it was suggested that we call corporate headquarters and contact its communications department to get an answer to this simple question.
What? Have we seriously gotten to the point where a question like ‘when are you opening?’ cannot be answered by anyone other than communications personnel?
What made this situation even more exasperating was how the Eagle ultimately found out when the store was closing and reopening.
After attempting to call the corporate headquarters of this business and only getting an opportunity to leave a message to hopefully receive a callback, we learned when the store was closing by simply asking a clerk after purchasing an item.
“When do you guys close and reopen,” we asked, and wouldn’t you know it, we had our answer.
So, the question is this: Why would the store manager refuse to answer such a simple question when customers were clearly being offered a response by the remainder of the staff?
Is there some kind of mistrust of our local community newspapers? Are we so fearful of answering simple questions that we have to deflect them to trained professionals?
One of our reporters was recently told by a former communications advisor that it indeed was their job to dance around media questions, never actually giving a straight answer, and eventually the question would stop being asked.
There was an article in the National Post last week that claimed there are 214 communications personnel working for the Alberta Government, more people than there are reporters covering government issues.
The cost of these communications staff is in excess of $21 million, at an average yearly salary of more than $100,000 for each. With the recent scandals that resulted in former premier Alison Redford stepping down, it’s not clear what kind of job performance scores this staff has received, but they are paid well, nonetheless.
If a newspaper reporter doesn’t do their job well, and writes inaccuracies or non-factual information, they would surely not last long and would possibly be sued for defamation…and reporters could only dream of making an annual salary in excess of $100,000.
Readers are not fooled.
When a Cochranite picks up their copy of the Eagle and reads an answer that is danced around and not properly addressed, they know.
It’s only a matter of time before these simple questions will get answered. The avoidance approach only works for so long, and the longer it goes on the more unbelievable the answer becomes.
And, the simple fact is this: When you withhold information from the media, you’re not hiding something from them, you’re hiding it from the public.
