When it comes to democracy, media matters

They are headlines that crossed my desk within minutes of each other.

The first: That 10 more people were gunned down while demonstrating for basic democracy in Syria. The second: That voter turnout in the Ontario election hit a record low of 49 per cent.

As much as concern for democracy is front and centre in our coverage of the “Arab Spring” uprisings, so too should it be taken seriously in the media’s role here in Canada. We would argue it is the core of good journalism to assist Canadians in making informed decisions about their future.

In Edmonton last Saturday, Allison Redford scored a stunning upset to become Alberta’s first female premier. Global News was proud to have televised exclusively the leadership debate that many observers now cite as a turning point in her campaign.

On Tuesday, when Manitobans returned the NDP to a majority government, Global News was proud to be the only private broadcaster to provide live coverage as Conservative leader Hugh McFadyen announced his resignation, and as Premier Greg Selinger outlined his vision for the province’s future.

And on Thursday, as Ontario produced its first minority government in a generation, Global News stood alone among the major broadcast networks in providing full coverage of all the results and speeches.

As it did in Manitoba, CTV chose to break away at 10:00 p.m. and air U.S. entertainment programming, while the publicly-funded CBC abdicated election coverage altogether to broadcast a hockey game. Both relegated the election to lesser-watched cable channels.

Canadian TV ratings certainly suggest that hockey games and Hollywood dance shows can be more popular and profitable than election coverage. And Canadians clearly have the right to watch whatever they like. This is a democracy, after all.

But let’s not forget we all have a role to play in supporting that democracy. The people of Syria are providing us a clear reminder.