Municipalities have a transparency problem

In our latest Editor’s Note, where our team shares a behind-the-scenes look at what we’re working on, what we’re thinking and the future of local media, our managing editor’s shares some observations about municipalities and transparency.

I sometimes wonder whether the lack of transparency is inherent in local municipalities. Sure, it’s bad at every level of government. But something about local government makes it even worse.

Charlie and I discussed this issue over our online chat this week. He was explaining some of the challenges he’s had in lining up sources, including some local politicians (who will remain nameless). Some people just don’t want to talk. And that’s a problem for accountability.

We’ve covered municipal issues for just over three years in Ottawa (time sure flies fast). The one common thread? The lack of transparency has led to some of the biggest issues the city has faced. 

Think back to the LRT fiasco. As the public inquiry showed, there was a major lack of transparency around testing and disclosure of information, with many people in a position of leadership knowing full well there were defects and other problems. Council refused a judicial review, and it took the province stepping in, after hard work from local reporters who never stopped digging, to get answers.

More recently, we’ve seen this play out with the Sprung structure debate for asylum seekers. The decision was made to let city staff choose the locations without any input from elected officials or the public.

With no input, many residents were left feeling that the process forced a decision on communities without transparency around the selection criteria or public consultation. While there are obviously many issues involved, the lack of transparency contributed to the neighbourhoods pushing back. 

At the Lookout, we have a little theory that one reason why this is so bad in municipal governance — the decline of local media. It may not be the only reason, but it’s an important one. Let me explain.

For the last decade, local media has been hollowed out, as companies merge and shed jobs, all in the name of generating just a little more profit. It inevitably means local journalists are laid off, especially those covering municipal issues.

Community news has never been so important. But across Canada, over 500 local news operations have been lost in the last 15 years, a number, which sadly, is growing.

Less than a handful of reporters now cover Ottawa city hall full-time in comparison to a whole media pack a few years ago. Some major publications have decided covering city issues is no longer important. Much of the municipal reporting that does exist is rewrites of press releases or surface-level stuff. This is concerning on so many levels.

What happens? Fewer journalists means fewer people asking questions. Fewer questions mean those in power don’t feel pressure to disclose information, or be transparent with the public.

At the Lookout, we're trying to bring key local issues out of the shadows. That’s why we’ve been doubling down on our municipal coverage on issues like LRT, Landsdowne, the ByWard Market, Sprung structures, and so much more. 

We’re doing our part here at the Lookout to bring more transparency to local government. Charlie sometimes tells me what a normal day looks like for him. In-person meetings, chasing down sources, preparing for interviews, digging through materials, cross-referencing quotes… Providing transparency to the public is hard work but something we love.

Transparency also extends beyond stories to the principles of our publication. It’s something we're always thinking about. These emails may seem different than what normal publications do, and that’s intentional. We want you to understand not just the stories we write, but our team and the principles and values of the Lookout.

Thank you. Stay tuned for the survey results later this week.

— Geoff Sharpe, Lookout managing editor