Criteria for a News Story

There were two stories making the news over the past week that I felt needed some commentary.  One story was local and the other was national.

First of all, I feel obligated to clarify what a news story.  A news story occurs when something actually happens.  Seriously, a person standing in front of a podium is not news, but that seems to be what we like to cover. 

I value a free press.  I value freedom of speech and exercise it on this medium almost daily.  Apparently, according to my friend, Leanne, sometimes I can be controversial.  I am trying to get people to think of things from different perspectives. 

However, the press is under attack and being accused of fake news.  This is the time for the press to be more careful of what they put out as news.  They must be careful that they don't try to sensationalize pieces of information. 

Last week, I heard a report on local tv about expenses filed by City Councillors.  The news report seemed to be reporting the expenses to get people angry.  It was suggesting lavish spending at City Hall and spoke of the top "expensers" in various categories.  There was an implication that this wrong.  I perked up when I heard that my Coucillor, Scott Gillingham led the travel expenses with $2000.  I confess I didn't hear if these were expenses incurred in a quarter or even a month.  It doesn't really matter.  This is not a news story.  It is an attempt to sensationalize City Councillor's doing that they were elected to do.  Anyway who has met Scott Gillingham knows that he is a highly principled and ethical man.  He would not engage in anything as trivial as padding an expense report.  I can't speak to other Councillors but the expenses were relatively small.  Nothing to see here, folks. 

The second story was reported on our supposed national news network.  It was a follow-up story to the person who was left on a plane the previous week.  A reporter was  able to find another person who had been accidentally left on a plane.  It was an Air Canada flight and the woman was returning to Maritime Canada after three months in Barbados.  The woman is blind and needed assistance off the plane. and was accidentally forogtten.  Of course, the family complained to Air Canada.  They refunded her plane ticket, gave her a travel voucher, and set up a new procedure so that it wouldn't happen again.  The woman was interviewed and noted that three months later, she is still suffering from stress as a result of the incident and wants more compensation.  The reporter indicated that Air Canada declinded to comment. 

This actually was a news story but was reported from the wrong angle.  First of all, Air Canada declined to comment, not because they were hiding anything, but because they had no further comment.  What more could they do?  They took responsibility, apologized, and made procedures to ensure it didn't happen again.  Secondly, the refund of her ticket and the travel voucher that she received were not free.  They were paid for by Air Canada customers.  Ticket prices for flights include all of these little settlements and they add up to consumers.  It is sad that we are turning into American style litigious society that we have our hands out when anything wrong happens to us. 

Accidents will happen because human beings make mistakes.  That is just common sense.