Why Media Blackouts help Arizona Corrections
There is no doubt the Arizona Department of
Corrections engages in media blackouts. The effectiveness of such censorship
has long been an effective strategy to keep the government safe and the public hushed
about the manner how these prison administrators run their facilities.
So far
this blackout has silenced the concerns by public officials, constituents and
taxpayers regarding the high number of homicides, suicides, natural deaths,
assaults on staff and inmates as well as extravagant spending on prison related
projects and costs. It is more likely expensive litigation pending makes the
headlines but the facts related to such lawsuits are rarely published or
discussed.
Should there be an open debate about this practice
and who should lead such an activity. It is suggested that because this is an
election year, the governor-elect should prompt such action and begin to remove
the cloaking devices put in place to protect government from public criticism, eventual
media harm or failing to meet the headline circumstances.
The role of the
governor is of utmost importance as it serves the public better if the prison
system operated with accountability and transparency related to operational
costs, administrative changes and public safety issues.
It is just too dangerous for the condition to remain
status quo. Relying on government propaganda how well the agency is doing its
job remains skeptical as news leaks out occasionally showing serious concerns
and extensive public safety failures that impacts public safety as well as the
safety of those employees working there and the inmates housed there. Should the
government be required to answer questions that require accurate and timely information
to detail precisely the facts and events in real-time?
The media has dillydallied
and severely hesitated to report prison news as there are rarely enough facts
released to make a good story. Hence this lack of coverage has created an
apathy by the media to seek further information and routinely seek as the
government seeks to suppress information. It is likely this blackout has
developed this attitude by the media that prison news is not worth covering. The
truth is just the opposite. There are many issues inside prisons that impacts
public safety and health concerns.
There is no
requirement by government to debrief journalists or reporters on the happenings
inside the prisons. A simple press release appears to satisfy the media’s
appetite for getting the narrative of the events reported. These events are
selectively processed to ensure no embarrassing news is leaked or disclosed. It
is politically correct and often brief enough to stave off any further follow
up questions.
Little consideration
has been given to the impact of media blackouts and how it impacts the media’s
own credibility. In the long run, the tolerance of such blackouts undermines
the media’s ability to report the news accurately, timely and completely. The
use of selective blackouts furthers suspicion on government decisions and
soundness. The outcome is rarely truthfully and completely revealed resulting
in a gross disservice to citizens and others interested in such reports.
As long as the
governor, the public and the media themselves condone blackouts, the power of
the media is diluted and clouded with suspicion. It makes the media uniquely
vulnerable to criticism rather than the government’s thus it reverses the accountability
factor. The purpose to withhold information is to lessen negative publicity but
the ultimate impact is the loss of trust by the public in the media’s attempts
to acquire the particulars and report them in a timely factual manner.
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