Wait a minute! Blaming "the media's lack of concerted and sustained attention to our parks" for allowing "the park board and it's dealings to operate under the radar" is terribly unfair!
Most weeks in this city (and that other one across the river) there are government or public agency regular meetings - all open to the public - that go uncovered by the press and largely unnoticed by the public. That's because they are mostly routine, doing important and necessary business, but not especially interesting or newsworthy stuff. There are oftentimes a handful or citizens who make a point to attend certain meetings because they are particularly interested in the affairs of that agency or in a particular item on the agenda. But the truth is, that most of what goes on at Park Board (or other public agency) meetings isn't very interesting and just isn't newsworthy except to just a handful of people! There is occasional coverage by one or more media outlets if there is something happening of note but the fact is, that for most of us, most of the time, we trust the people who are involved to do the right thing, to use their best judgment. We can hardly expect the press to cover the routine, the day-to-day, the mundane workings of public bodies when the public clearly chooses to let them go about their business without paying much attention. Many of the people who are on the Issues List are active with or interested in specific policy issues but I doubt that any of us can or do pay equal attention to every issue on the public plate. I suspect that we would all like more press coverage of our favorite issues, especially if it is favorable coverage! I contend that it is unrealistic and unfair to expect the media to provide coverage of these public agency meetings unless there is something of great interest to the public that is happening - or not happening! People will read/watch/listen to coverage of events when there is something happening that needs to be reported. We seem to hate it though, when the media "manufactures" or goes overboard on coverage. In my experience, the press radar is permanently switched to the "ON" position, but most of the time the traffic is routine and there aren't any very many newsworthy blips on the screen. But when they see one . . . off they go! Much of what goes on in the Minneapolis parks is good and beneficial and people seem to be generally pretty pleased with the system. That's good, but hardly the sort of thing that merits ongoing press coverage. In fact, I think that the lack of press coverage suggests that for the most part, the Park & Recreation Board is doing what it is supposed to do. Recently, we saw an exception to that and it did generate a pretty fair amount of coverage! Jim Bernstein Fulton ----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Tracy Sent: Friday, January 23, 2004 10:35 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [Mpls] Park Board and the Press List, The real bummer about the general lack of coverage the Park issues get is this: the park system is an amenity at least as important to Minneapolitans (and the visitors to our city) as garbage pick up, roads, entertainment, and other government concerns. Our green spaces, walking paths, lakes, river, park centers and playing fields are integral to the identity of the city. The MPRB has a budget of something like 65 million dollars a year. It employs hundreds (thousands?) of people (union folk, part timers, teenagers), and is basically a REALLY GOOD thing. There are interesting, positive things that happen every day in our parks and I think, in general, those working to protect it - not just commissioners, but Park Board staff, planners, environmentalists, recreationalists, historians, and, oh yeah, USERS - provide vital stories that may even rise above "human interest" stuff that newspapers relegate to the 6th page of the metro or neighborhood sections. Very little ever gets covered about the park board (except by the SW Journal and Scott Russell), and when it receives some mention, it's usually over controversy. The current uproar is justified, and I wish the press (and not just the STrib and SW Journal, but the City Pages, and local TV stations) were covering even more angles and citizens' responses to the whole flap. But I wish that the park board, the parks, the entirety of the system, received more press all the time, especially covering really great things like water quality efforts, native plantings, rec center success stories, the legacy of our parks, its history and future, odd trivia or noteworthy features. Call me provincial, but I have as much, if not more, need to know what's happening in the parks as I do regarding City Hall and beyond. Because of the media's lack of concerted and sustained attention to our parks, and our public's general satisfaction of an amenity most use or look at daily, the park board and it's dealings tend to operate under the radar. And that's a shame. Tracy Nordstrom East Calhoun REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
