Rule number one - “Don’t feed the trolls.”
Not feeding those who are negative or disagree with what you say and do is one of the hardest aspects of this industry, and life.
It’s also hard not to engage with individuals who lack humanity, don’t know the facts and are hypocrites. However, over the last few weeks, I’ve done my best to ignore reactions to anything we write. It’s been, cleansing.
The takeaway from this is some people in our community are hypocrites and have zero sense of humanity. Let me explain.
Our internal website numbers repeatedly show people want to know what is happening in our community when it’s happening. Fires, collisions, and police activity are the news people in our community care about most, for better or worse.
The old adage “if it bleeds its leads” still rings true today, it’s just done slightly differently than in the past. Currently, we rely on readers to inform us of what is happening, unlike in the past, when municipalities understood we had access to their calls and would most likely be arriving.
It doesn’t mean we can go all willy-nilly on the details. We must follow rules and guidelines, let’s use a recent stabbing at a food establishment as an example.
We reported our observations and any statements made by officials. If officials can only say they are investigating a stabbing, we can’t add details beyond what we see.
Nine K-9 officers, 41 pumper trucks, and 90 ambulances are on the scene. That would be okay. A search is ongoing, the area has closed roads, also kosher. Injury levels, damage amounts, closure times all approved.
However, sharing rumours and specific identifying information like faces and names is frowned upon, if not outright against our code of conduct.
Somewhere along the line, I think it was during COVID, our industry went from being a trusted source to being second-guessed on everything. I can assure you we don’t withhold facts and information pertinent to a story.
Meanwhile, I also found it funny how some in our community, who petitioned against an expanded men’s shelter, are now complaining.
It’s minus beyond stupid Celsius, and the unhoused are having a fire or being provided with a warming space. Would you rather they freeze to death? Unfortunately, that reality is precisely the amount of humanity some in our community seem to have.
I do, however, have hope. Many people who remained quiet have started to speak up for those who can’t. They are starting to stand up, regardless of being shouted down, it’s a step.
A life is a life. A person is a person. Where is the humanity? Lloyd has to be better than this ... right?
Abiding by rule number one is difficult for people who care about what we report to a community. However, it does have the benefits of reduced blood pressure and stress. So that’s something.
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