In journalism school we learn that in a healthy democracy, journalists help keep our politicians and other leaders accountable by asking questions, doing research and publishing stories. This in turn gives citizens good information on which to make their decisions.
A popular motto for journalists is to “comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.”
So what happens when the owner and publisher of a newspaper gets married to the mayor?
Village of Valemount Mayor Andru McCracken and I got married over the holidays. In our many discussions of the pros and cons of marriage (there were many cons, mostly around the wedding ceremony) one reason that resonated with us both was accountability. As public figures, being transparent about our relationship is being more accountable to the people in our community.
This is scary, since running an independent newspaper requires, well, independence.
One way I’ve looked to improve the situation is to bring in new journalists to cover municipal politics and encouraged them to look critically at Village issues. Korie Marshall and Thomas Rohner have both done fine work.
But that’s not enough. There’s no way to convince you of our commitment to unbiased journalism than to show you.
What I want to say is the Goat remains committed to balanced and investigative journalism. Watch for stories we do and respond to them. We don’t claim to have every viewpoint. Are we way off base on an issue that matters to you? Please write to us.
Pointing out errors or oversights in the political realm is part of our job. It doesn’t – and shouldn’t – be personal.
This is why I’m confident we’ll go into the New Year as strong as we were before – as always, with your help.
