Media moves forward while government tries to move backward

The point of the media is to hold the government accountable and to disseminate information to those who can not, for whatever reason, experience an event or meeting in person. The media is supposed to keep the people informed. If the media is not informed, how are the people supposed to be?

That is why what Lake Oswego City counsel members attempted to do in 2008, was so wrong. According to an article in The Oregonian, when blogger, Mark Bunster of the political blog, Loaded Orygun, tried to attend a counsel meeting as a member of the press, he was turned away. This sparked a controversy, causing the city to consider setting clear definitions as to who is and who is not considered true media, meaning they would be deciding who could and could not attend meetings.

Some proponents of the law claimed  that if you let just any old blogger into the meetings, than you might as well just let everyone in, so instead suggested that media organizations, in order to be approved, must be "institutionalized" and "well established." There are a few issues with that suggestion.

In order to become "well established," an organization must start somewhere, but if groups are limiting their ability to attend and report events, how is a media organization to gain any credibility in reporting on those subjects. Without that credibility, the organization cannot be "well established."

Secondly, who is to decide which media organizations are well established? That is a subjective description. This is an objection mentioned in the article as it was raised by the president of Open Oregon.

The article says that Oregon is just one of a few states to allow press to sit in on legislative meetings. The fact that the state has that openness is great! Now they need to stop attempting to move backward. The legislature that allows those "open" meetings is from the 1970s, so of course it did not plan for bloggers and the rise of the internet era. Instead of regressing and shutting out these new forms of media, the state should set a precedent and allow newer media, like bloggers, to attend these meetings so long as they follow the same rules as "approved" media.

2013 California Senator, Dianne Feinstein, was encouraging the same kind of regression as she tried several times to pass a bill limiting (basically removing) the protection given to certain types of media, specifically Wikileaks and "non-salaried journalists," according to an article on commondreams.org.

"The government shouldn't be controlling the media. What it gives, it can take away," said Judson Randall to the Oregonian.