Boyd: I've changed my views on news; town halls for mayor of Indianapolis are evidence.
Editor's note: You can view the Town Hall here.
In one week, I will moderate the first of two town hall forums for mayoral candidates, and I can barely contain my excitement.
The first town hall will be 7 p.m. March 28 for Democratic candidates; the second will be 7 p.m. March 30 for Republican candidates. Both will be at the IndyStar.
That I’m excited about these two events is evidence of my journalistic evolution. I came into journalism because I liked writing and figured this would be a good way to do what I love while earning a living. I wanted to be a features writer. Features is where all the fun writing happened. That’s what I wanted to do: the fun stuff. Leave the heavy, “boring” writing to someone else.
When I grabbed the paper, I read feature stories and columns first. Quite naturally, that’s where I wanted to be. I love entertainment, going to events and being in the know about all the fun events happening around town. Features writing was a perfect fit.
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My first full-time reporting position was on the news side, but I kept my eye on the prize. My goal was to work my way into features writing at some point (and I did).
It wasn’t that I didn’t understand the importance of journalism’s role in democracy or believe in it. I did. I watched “All the President’s Men” more times than I can count in high school and college journalism classes, so I knew how vital Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein’s reporting was to uncovering the Watergate scandal. It would be cool to have a movie made about me and how I saved democracy, but that wasn’t enough to sway me away from my perspective that features was "better."
I strongly believed in journalistic ethics and integrity, but I just wanted to use them on the features side of the newsroom. I believed in our important role as government watchdogs, but the watchdog stuff was for someone else. I wanted the fun stuff.
I remember one of my professors, he was managing editor of the local newspaper, getting so worked up over Sunshine Laws. He talked about the public’s right to know with so much excitement. He spoke about sending a public information request or contacting the public access counselor with this exuberance that left me bewildered. I was into it, but just not that into it.
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Now, all these years later, I’m that professor. I’m getting all worked up over Sunshine Laws and the public’s right to know. I’ve taken to our role as government watchdogs with a fervor my younger self never knew she had in her. Sometimes I stop and wonder how I got here. How did I grow into this person who now runs around talking to anyone who will listen about the Fourth Estate, the free press being a part of the U.S. Constitution and our role in democracy? Now, I say things such as “studies have shown government corruption increases when local newspapers die” and discuss journalism’s role in holding elected officials accountable in regular conversation to non-journalists. I’m all about the “boring” stuff now because I’ve learned it’s not boring. It’s vital.
And that brings me back to our town halls. I’m excited because this is what the press is supposed to do. Democracy requires work. The press has a role to play in that work. It’s our job to help people stay informed and knowledgeable about what their government is doing and who is running for elected office. Voting is part of our civic duty, and you need good information so you can make an informed decision on which candidate gets your vote. The town halls are part of that process.
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We have a limited number of in-person seating (free tickets are still available for the Republican town hall; Democratic town hall is sold out), and we will livestream them on our website, Facebook page and YouTube page so a wider audience can view and hear what the candidates have to say about why each believes he or she should be the next mayor. And because this is really about you, the citizens of Indianapolis, we want to know the issues and concerns that are important to you. So, send questions to me at oboyd@gannett.com.
Contact IndyStar Public Engagement Editor Oseye Boyd at oboyd@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @oseyetboyd.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: IndyStar will host town halls for Indianapolis mayoral candidates
