Energeticcity.ca Weekly Review: Media's Role in Elections

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Welcome to our next installment of Weekly Review, the series where we mention what’s going on behind the scenes as well as showcase the top stories of the previous week.

As always, if you want to get this review directly in your inbox, all newsletter subscribers will receive it every Sunday!

Behind the Scenes

One of the big events of the week is that municipal elections are happening across our region. Since this is the first election since starting this series, it seems like a good time to discuss what is the media's role during such an event.

On a macro level, the media's role in an election is to provide as much information as possible to potential voters. This includes when the election is, what are the key issues, and who is running. Our goal as a media organization is to be as neutral as possible while allowing each candidate to present their plans to the public.

A key difference in a municipal election compared to a federal or provincial one is that there are no parties. While people may lean one way or another on the political spectrum, they are not beholden to their party's platform. This means each candidate can provide more specific and personal answers to the questions that we ask them.

To keep up to date on the election or to learn more, sign up for our weekly Peace Politics newsletter where our civic reporter Grace will provide the big stories of the week and more context on how local councils work.

Don't forget to have your say! Municipal governments have a big impact on all of our day-to-day lives. The final day to submit a nomination is September 9 and election day is October 15.