It seems to me that it is time for a change of management at The Citizen. The final straw is the coverage of the trial of the two young women who were allegedly sexually abused by their stepfather. The Citizen is only too willing to report salacious material and crucify the character and wellbeing of these young women and their mother and call it news. The Citizen justifies its incomprehensible practice by arguing this is in the public interest. There is no opportunity for the victims to speak to the allegations. That which is put into print goes into cyberspace forever.
Further I question the personal integrity and professionalism of reporters who stoop to write these stories. The treatment of these young people is tantamount to emotional abuse and the conduct of the writers unprincipled. What does The Citizen stand for? It plays loose with the facts and with peoples personal and professional lives.
My call for a change in management at The Citizen is borne out of a longer term observation of the decline of the newspaper. On an almost daily basis editorials are put forward which seem solely intended to stir controversy. The writers may think their style is clever and insightful, yet typically the editorials contain no original thought and the subject matter inconsequential. The coverage in the last provincial election is a perfect case in point. The coverage lacked insight, there were no perceptive questions, the discussion followed the popular narrative and in the end the foregone conclusions were dead wrong.
It seems to me that whatever the topic; city hall, provincial politics or local news The Citizen rather than taking a reasonable, rational, informed view chooses to take a stance that is contentious and invites controversy. The newspaper is missing leadership that takes a credible, reasoned approach that reflects depth in economics, historical inequities, political philosophy or a vision for the future.
Child poverty is a scourge in our community. It is the root of many social ills; crime, gangs, mental health, child development and a host of inequities. This is a major compelling issue in our society. Yet The Citizen, which should be a champion of social change, is silent. The preference and energy of the newspaper seems to be the bully pulpit and the salacious. Prince George and the North deserves better. It is time for a Citizen management change.
Rolf van Driesum
Prince George
