By Stephen Vance, Editor
As with the last municipal election, we’ve had several readers contacting us seeking thoughts and advice on who they should vote for in the upcoming election, or wondering if we will be publishing a list of candidates that we endorse.
We’ve had similar questions with regard to the upcoming June 12 provincial election.
There is a long tradition in the newspaper business of endorsing candidates come election season. Newspapers across the province will no doubt be unveiling their preferred candidates for Queen’s Park prior to the June 12 election, and for municipal councils as the October 27 election day approaches.
Whenever I’m asked if The Meaford Independent will participate in this long-standing tradition, my short answer is no.
To borrow a line from the film Deconstructing Harry – “Tradition is the illusion of permanence,” and one thing that we refuse to do is to carry on traditions for the sake of carrying on traditions.
What is the purpose of a newspaper endorsing candidates?
The ‘traditional’ newspapers will likely tell you that they have a duty to their readers to stand up and put their valuable stamp of approval on a selection of candidates that they deem worthy of the jobs on council or other levels of government.
The reality is that when a newspaper endorses candidates, they are hoping to sway public opinion. Why else would they bother sharing their preferred candidates if not in hopes of convincing readers to agree with them?
I would suggest that any news service that has done its job well leading up to an election, in providing information and fact-based objective articles combined with editorial columns, will have already provided their readers with the information required to make their own choices.
In covering the 2010 municipal election campaign, The Meaford Independent published roughly 25 articles, 15 letters to the editor, and more than 30 Candidate’s Corner submissions – which were written and submitted by the candidates themselves.
That is a lot of information provided to our readers.
Included in the 25 articles were 10 editorials. And while our reporting on any election has always been fair, objective, and without bias, our editorial columns have certainly let our readers know what type of candidates we are likely to support.
Our opinion columns in 2010 indicated a desire to see some younger members on Meaford’s council, and also those who have fresh ideas and a new approach. Our opinion columns at the time called for breaking free from doing the ‘same ole things’ that haven’t always worked out so well, and instead blazing some new trails to see where they might lead.
That is what The Meaford Independent endorses, whether for municipal politics, or even federal and provincial campaigns – a youthful approach, an unconventional approach, along with a nice dose of thinking outside the box.
So no, we won’t be providing our readers with a list of candidates that we feel they should vote for in June or October, however we’ll do our best to ensure that our readers are well-informed and equipped to cast their ballots with confidence.
As for Meaford’s council, this is your council, this is your vote. As candidates continue to announce their plans to run, be sure to read what they and their campaign platform are all about. Keep a list of issues that are important to you, and track what the candidates say about those issues. Take advantage of any candidate meetings or debates which are often the best place to see all of the candidates in one place, side by each.
As a community newspaper, we see our job as one of providing balanced, unbiased information. We respect our readers too much to tell them who to vote for.
Vote for the candidates that you feel have spoken to your needs, and that you feel will represent your interests well.
Most importantly, take the time to vote – our community needs your input.
