Then there’s the muddled question of whether the Boston media sees its relationship to Boston politics — and politics in general — as active or passive. For example, in a given election cycle, are we supposed to produce a dispassionate chronicle of whatever noteworthy races may be going on? Or should our coverage aim at bolstering public interest and civic engagement, too?
Right now, the big problem is that Boston media aren’t sure where they stand on either issue; we’re not sure how important Boston politics actually are, or why exactly we’re covering them. And this makes us send mixed signals. It’s why — to cite two recent examples — the Globe buried its November 2 Boston City Council election guide on the fourth page of the City & Region section, then put its post-election wrap on A1, above the fold.
The good news is, we’ve got two years until the next Boston city elections. Regardless of whether Menino will have an opponent, there will be City Council races to cover. That should give the press plenty of time to figure out whether or not we give a shit — and why.
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