advice to mayes; think first

Mayes raises major concerns
Apr 02 2006, Vernon Morning Star

Did Colin Mayes actually think there wouldn’t be negative reaction when he fired off a column suggesting reporters be hauled off in handcuffs for fabricating stories or twisting information?

While the column was only sent to regional media, it found its way into the hands of the Globe and Mail and the national newspaper focused on it during a front page article Friday. The column came at the same time that media has been expressing considerable concern about the Conservative government. It’s been alleged the prime minister is limiting access to cabinet, and ministers are being told to restrict public comments.

Mayes has apologized for the comments, and suggested they were a poor choice of words.

No kidding. Perhaps Mayes should have thought about his actions before alienating a group of professionals who are a key part of the democratic process.

Maybe Mayes isn’t aware of the laws of the land but there are already rules that apply to journalists who fabricate or falsely accuse citizens. If found guilty, they can be fined or tossed in jail.

Mayes is certainly correct on one point and that is the need for journalists to act responsibly. After all, public opinion is often based on what is printed or broadcast.

But that aside, we’re wondering what Mayes’ interpretation of accurate journalism is — articles that are balanced or just those that present the Conservatives in a positive light.

In his apology, Mayes says he wants to build a constructive working relationship with the local media. We would hope that sentiment would also apply to the national media as well.

In the end, our new MP should use this incident as a learning experience, and hopefully he will consider his actions more thoroughly before he writes next time.