By Shachi Kurl, President
If ever there was a proof point showcasing some of B.C.’s best journalism, it was surely last Saturday night: an unprecedented provincial election campaign ending with one of the closest results in the province’s history, one which is not yet fully settled.
Journalists from communities around the province brought us the latest in the see-saw voting results, enhanced by interviews, analysis and historical background to fill in the how, the why, and the reasons it mattered. As a former political journalist, watching the night unfold, it was a moment of pride.
Now, south of the border, reporters from around the world are on the ground in swing states, trying to understand and contextualize the vote dynamics that will determine the outcome of a U.S. campaign that will have major implications for British Columbians and the world. Our economies, communities, and key policies will be driven by what happens after Nov. 5.
But these heady days for news organizations — and the audience relying on their dispatches — obscure a deeply concerning and increasing trend. I noticed it preparing to moderate the televised B.C. leaders debate earlier this month: Where hundreds of journalists from across the province might have been covering a provincial campaign in the past, this time around it was closer to a few dozen.