The media is the public
Tonight, Mid-Missouri Peaceworks held a meeting, which was advertised on their Web site as follows:
"A post-election discussion on citizen activism! The results of the election will have an impact on the way we approach our activism. Join us for an informal discussion in the Peace Nook lounge. An optional potluck will take place at 6:30."
The Maneater sent a reporter down to get a story on this meeting, as we routinely cover events held by this organization. However, the reporter (who was Brendan Gibbons, the reporter who was restricted from talking to audience members at a rally for John McCain last month by the event staff) was turned away at the door.
The reason? Mid-Missouri Peaceworks Director Mark Haim said, while this meeting was intended to be open to the public, it was actually closed to the media, because the presence of a reporter would have a "chilling effect" on what was considered a "brainstorming" session for the organization.
While we respect the work that Peaceworks does to raise awareness for issues of peace and the environment, and also their right as a private entity to hold a closed meeting, their intention to do just that should have been clearly stated in their ad. Perhaps they would find that more members of the community would take an interest in the activities of Peaceworks if only they could pick up an issue of The Maneater and learn a little bit more about their inner workings.
Comments (0)
Post a comment
