MidlandToday welcomes letters to the editor at [email protected] or via the website. Please include your full name, daytime phone number and address (for verification of authorship, not publication). MidlandToday received the following letter about the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives' influence on local government.
I was surprised by the lack of clarity and balance in Derek Howard’s recent article, Ice Resurfacer Smooths Reasoning for ICLEI Role During Midland Talks, published on Feb. 9. Rather than objectively reporting on the discussion, the article seemed to steer readers toward a specific conclusion — one that minimizes legitimate concerns about ICLEI’s (International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives), role in municipal governance.
Mayor Bill Gordon raised reasonable questions about the financial and decision-making implications of ICLEI membership, yet the article barely engages with these concerns. Instead, it presents ICLEI’s involvement as a given, without acknowledging the broader public debate on whether municipalities are making long-term commitments that could impact local autonomy and costs.
A more balanced report would have included perspectives from those who question ICLEI’s influence, rather than simply reinforcing the view that it is a benign or necessary initiative. Journalism plays a crucial role in fostering open discussion, and when municipal policies with financial and governance implications are at stake, the public deserves clear, objective reporting — not advocacy in disguise.
I encourage MidlandToday to ensure future coverage of this topic includes a more thorough and balanced analysis rather than leaning toward preemptively justifying ICLEI’s presence in local decision-making. The role of the press is to inform, not to validate.
Paul Lampuoti
Port McNicoll
