There was a time not so long ago when newspaper photographers and TV camera operators were welcomed with open arms in schools and classrooms. Teachers and principals (back when they were called principals and not administrators) encouraged visits from the local media because it showed the good work they were doing and it made minor celebrities out of the students who found themselves on the front page or on the supper-hour newscast.
Particularly at this time of the year, photographers used to be able to count on schools to provide nice photographs of school kids building snow sculptures, rehearsing for their Christmas pageants, collecting funds for the needy or accepting donated items from various local charities.
Those days are gone.
Schools, particularly elementary schools, are now off-limits to reporters and photographers, as well-meaning superintendents and Ministry of Education officials apply the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIPPA or FOY-pah as it's pronounced).
News organizations have used the "freedom of information" part of FOIPPA to access important government records that are in the public interest. The "protection of privacy" portion has been used by government agencies in return to block reporters and photographers from doing their work. When conflict has arisen between the first and second parts of the FOIPPA, privacy has trumped information. The needs of the one outweigh the needs of the many, as it were.
It's important to stress that FOIPPA applies only to the provincial government and municipalities, along with public agencies, such as hospitals, schools, libraries and crown corporations. The self-governing bodies for lawyers and doctors also fall under the Act. FOIPPA doesn't apply to the private sector.
The irony is that in the online information age, where most people regularly surrender their privacy through social media, governments are clamping down on privacy harder than ever.
In the school setting, this is understandable. Making schools safe isn't just about procedures to protect kids from someone coming in with a gun, although that's part of it. On a day-to-day basis, it means protecting the privacy of the students and their parents and guardians. School staff deal with delicate confidential information regarding the kids in their care each day, from allergies, illnesses and medication to hunger, behavioral issues and abuse. That privacy needs to be respected, both inside and outside of the schools.
Still, there must be a compromise available somewhere, where the news media can help celebrate teachers and students without violating somebody's personal rights.
Well-meaning parents call The Citizen regularly, encouraging the newspaper to send a photographer out to cover a special event or assembly at the school. Enthusiastic charities call, asking for coverage of their donations to benefit students. Sadly, The Citizen and the rest of our news colleagues in Prince George are unable to act on these invitations to visits schools, unless they come from an administrator or district executive.
This is not unique to Prince George but is seen right across the province as school districts, fearful of liability and other legal entanglements, fiercely apply both protection and privacy to students. Safety, however, has come with a price, as the community, through its news outlets, is unable to share in the joys and accomplishments of young people learning.
Not so long ago, children would puff their chests out with pride when the senior living down the street would walk by with her dog, stop and say "hey, I saw your picture in the paper - good for you!"
To be clear, this isn't a slight towards today's educators, whose jobs are increasingly challenging and who are stressed with difficult choices daily. Rather, it's a gentle yearning for a simpler time when the media's interest in children and schools was seen as a blessing, not a threat.
Managing editor Neil Godbout
