Editorials - April 21, 2023
Turning the page
Free speech was victorious by a narrow margin in a small Texas county last week, but could still be threatened by the appeal process. After federal judges ordered Llano County to reinstate a dozen children’s books that had been banned due to LGBTQ and racial content, the commissioners of the library system were considering shuttering the entire public library system, rather than comply with the order.
Librarians and other citizens in favour of reinstating the list of banned books were at odds with a group of residents who called the material “salacious” and “unsafe” when each side spoke to the commissioners at an emergency meeting. Llano County Judge Ron Cunningham, who is the head of the county commission, announced they would abide by a federal judge’s order to restore the books rather than shutter the system.
We are not immune to censorship in Canada. In fact, the Book and Periodical Council of Canada established Freedom to Read Week to highlight the fact that there is a constant battle to keep our intellectual freedom. They produced a list of 29 books that have battled censorship which includes Canadian icons Margaret Atwood and Alice Munro.
It’s incredible that closing an entire library system would be the preferred option to some over allowing 12 books to remain in circulation. Censorship in any form is a slippery slope, but especially in a public library system that is supposed to provide resources for its citizens to engage in lifelong learning and explore new dimensions. – DS
A hidden life
Last Friday, the man who spent decades writing editorials in this space - in addition to founding the newspaper itself - was inducted into the Ontario Community Newspaper Association Hall of Fame. Keith Roulston has spent a lifetime telling the stories of this community, in the pages of The Citizen and The Rural Voice (in addition to his early work with other area newspapers) and on stage at the Blyth Festival.
Keith’s voice has been omnipresent here for decades, but not from a grandstand or a soapbox - through these very pages or from behind the scenes at the Festival (which he also co-founded). The impact he’s had on this community is undeniable, though he’d be the first to disagree. Oh, maybe not disagree, but shift the spotlight and, thus, the credit to someone else, thanking them for all they’ve done to better the world.
The very nature of journalism says that good reporters, columnists and editorial writers keep themselves out of the story. As a result, the impact of a decades-long career can be sneaky. Keith has done all he’s done not to push an agenda and certainly not to get rich, but to serve his community as well as he could. The Citizen is no stepping stone, but a life’s work that’s being recognized for all it’s accomplished.
Keith, this Editorial Board offers its most heartfelt congratulations on your remarkable achievement. Your commitment to community is an inspiration and your hard work and dedication has driven so many to strive to do the same. Your impact looms so very large.
Simply put, if there were more Keith Roulstons - people who strive to build up their communities and selflessly elevate those around them, uninterested in who will get the credit - the world would be a better place, full of wisdom, care and a sense of responsibility. – SL
Cue the poop (emoji) slinging
CBC/Radio-Canada has announced that it will be “pausing” its use of Twitter, following the social media platform’s labeling of its main account as “government-funded media”. In a statement released by CBC Media Relations Director Leon Mar, he expressed concern that Twitter’s labeling undermines the accuracy and professionalism of the work done by CBC journalists, as it falsely described CBC’s independence. Mar also said CBC had not been consulted before the label was applied.
Mar argued that CBC does not meet the criteria for “government-funded media” as defined by Twitter’s website, which refers to outlets where the government provides funding and may have editorial involvement. He pointed out that CBC is publicly funded through a parliamentary appropriation that is voted upon by all MPs, and its editorial independence is protected by law in the Broadcasting Act.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre had requested the label for CBC English’s accounts that promote “news-related” content, but not for its French counterpart. Poilievre’s Tweet also linked to a Conservative petition calling for CBC to be defunded, stating that it spreads “Trudeau propaganda” instead of news. The Canadian Press then contacted Twitter for an explanation, to which the company responded with