Evidence That Medicine Hat City Hall Has Been Trying to Suppress Community TV
By Kelly Allard
86 years after the Edmonton Journal fought for a Free Press, Community TV is doing the same in Medicine Hat. Colleen Graham, Director of the City of Medicine Hat Corporate Communications department has decided that they are the sole arbiters of what is to be considered media and has shut out Community TV. City Hall has even gone so far as to move the media table and posting security guards to make sure nobody sits at the previous location. I present the following evidence to show it has been going on for well over a year - check out the links.
I had no idea we were such a threat.
Last year Director Colleen Graham said to a resident that it would be take too much time to come up with a policy for defining media; she also seems to think that Facebook determines who is actual media or not (citing Bill C-18). She deliberately ignored the fact that Community TV is on the Accredited Media list for both the Alberta Court of Justice and the Court of King’s Bench. That is all the accreditation we need. Here is the Alberta Courts Accreditation Policy.
Fact Check - there are about 2.9 Billion monthly users of Facebook. The fact that we’re able to slide under the radar does not mean that we aren’t media, it just means we’re just too tiny for them to bother with.
Apologies for the image cutoff, I do not have access to the original.)
2023 e-mail between Colleen Graham and a Medicine Hat resident, Graham says we at Community TV “monopolize” her thoughts.
They mention an interview I did with the mayor on August 29. It was an interview I did after the August 28 2023 Special Council Meeting, this was back when media was permitted to be on the Council Chambers floor.
Ms Colleen Graham cites the investment in time that it would take for the City to develop a media policy. I find this disingenuous as they do not have to reinvent the wheel. The Legislature of Alberta has already come up with a policy which is included in this document. (Not once is Bill C-18 cited in this 122 page document but Facebook is.) Digital media outlets are included in this document.
I particularly like this quote on page 20 by Ric McIver . When this was published he was a member of the opposition, he is now Minister of Municipal Affairs.
”Government should keep its nose and fingers out of the issue altogether
and not try to limit who reports on them.”
Ric McIver
Perhaps it is time for Corporate Communications to move into the 21st century and recognize digital media.
The Legacy Media has been silent on this issue except when the newspaper decided to mock our stand on the subject or the local TV station when they chose to publish rumours from an anonymous source “close to council” saying
“The source who spoke to CHAT News explained Randle was mimicked and mocked by the two individuals that produce commentary under the local brand Community TV.”
To that, we say
Show Us The Receipts!
If we have been inappropriate in regards to former City Clerk Larry Randle then show us the clip, show us the article. Community TV / The Trash Panda has always said that Randle was between a rock and a hard place. Randle seemed to be well qualified, knowledgeable and he was always cordial in our interactions with him; we had nothing but respect for Randle.
The TV news did come and interview Tom and I for our response to their article but nothing’s been published yet. They didn’t cite one example of our alleged misdeeds. Instead we were asked if we felt bad. I can’t feel bad if I don’t know what I’m supposed to feel bad about.
On the other hand, I lost a lot of respect for one newspaper journalist at the Mayor’s March 27 2024 press conference. The Mayor was answering questions from the public as well as the media when this journalist asked a member of the public “can you let the real media ask our questions first because we have a deadline?” (not verbatim).
As for me, it is my opinion that the questions from the public were part of the story; I welcomed them. Mind you I have no corporate overlords, I make my own deadlines and my own decisions about what stories I want to cover. In my view we are not in competition as we have different audiences and different ways of presenting local news.
The public is turning more and more to digital outlets (alternative news sources) because of the perceived bias and polarization leading to a lack of trust of the Legacy Media. The Legacy Media is being perceived more and more as corporate shills only out for the almighty dollar.
Digital outlets like Community TV /The Trash Panda can go much more in depth because we are not limited by space or time or even content. We can say what we want when we want which is a dangerous level of freedom that the Legacy Media has yet to embrace.
The Legacy Media is in danger of being relegated to the coverage of the minutiae for fear of ruffling feathers and being denied access. They seem quite happy to take the screwing, they don’t even ask to be kissed first. Perhaps that why the corporate overlords seem to be happy to comply with the move of the media table and the suppression of the Free Press by their treatment of Community TV /The Trash Panda.
When I complained about the media table move, city staff said “nobody else has complained”.
When access is denied to one media outlet, it is denied to all. Journalists are supposed to keep governments honest and accountable even if it means we might ruffle a few feathers.
Medicine Hat City Hall Has Been Gunning For
Community TV / The Trash Panda For Over a Year
I received this screenshot Thursday night, July 25 2024. It is apparently a followup to an e-mail sent to Council in November 2023 by Stephen Campbell (social media post with the e-mailed letter is at the end of this article).
Nobody associated with Community TV /The Trash Panda has contacted Mr Campbell, this was sent to me by a 3rd party.
First of all I should mention that when Councillor Sharps was just Shila Sharps - business owner, she was more than happy to interview with Community TV. Tom covered the CCDA Dissolution and the Monarch Theatre scandal when parents were outraged by their daughter’s reports of being sexually harassed by the theatre manager.
I got to know Sharps during the 2021 Civic election. She complimented me on my investigative skills and my writing, she seemed to approve of my advocacy. We did not agree on everything (nor should we) but we would discuss things and come to an understanding of each other’s point of view.
Now Councillor Sharps no longer considers Community TV /The Trash Panda to be media. Again, Community TV is on the Accredited Media list for both the Alberta Court of Justice and the Court of King’s Bench; that is all the accreditation we need.
Corporate Communications under the management of Colleen Graham has been instrumental in shutting us out for a long time, since February 8 2023, the day after City Manager Ann Mitchell’s start date.
The City of Medicine Hat was scoping me out during the election along with other candidates who were being critical of the denizens of the Glass Palace, Ms Graham even gave me my very own category.
I had no idea I was such a threat.
This is very concerning behaviour - we have another civic election coming up in October 2025.
Nov 20 2023 e-mail from Councillor Shila Sharps to City Manager Ann Mitchell, cc to Pat Bohan, Managing Director of Development and Infrastructure regarding Community TV and the “press box” and revoking business licenses.
I did give Councillor Sharps and City Manager Mitchell an opportunity to respond but they have yet to do so by press time.
You don’t get to complain about not being able to state your side of the story when you refuse to communicate with us.
Here Are the Questions I Asked in Regards to the Above E-mail.
“Stephen Campbell sent an e-mail to Council in November wanting Community TV's business license reviewed and possibly revoked, saying that Community TV should not be sitting in the press box, etc.
Questions to Councillor Sharps
You were happy to be interviewed by Community TV when you were running for Council.
Why did you think Community TV should not be sitting in the press box (media table)? Do you still think that way?
Why were you musing about business license revocations in other municipalities, were you looking for a way to revoke our business license thereby interfering with our ability to earn income?
Under what circumstance do you think the City should be able to revoke a business license?
Question to Sharps and Mitchell
When was this line of inquiry shared with the rest of Council?
April 15 2024, Thomas Fougere filed a FOIP for his personal information. Shortly after that, the City filed a request for an Authorization to Disregard Thomas Fougere's FOIP request for his personal information citing the reasons of being frivolous, vexatious and repetitive.
Fougere has never previously filed a FOIP with the City for his personal information so it was certainly not repetitive. Asking for personal information is neither frivolous nor vexatious; every person has the right to access their own information.
Questions to City Manager Mitchell
What is the real reason for the City's request for an Authorization to Disregard Thomas Fougere's FOIP request for his personal information?
Why is senior administration seemingly trying to interfere with Community TV's ability to operate and thereby interfering with our ability to earn income?”
This whole timeline reeks of
censorship, secrecy and favouritism.
I will not apologize for the way I investigate issues. I will call someone out on their bad behaviour whether they be friend or foe. I am not going to kiss anybody’s ass or adjust my content so someone can save face.
I’ll leave you with a quote from one of my favourite books.
If you put away those who report accurately, you’ll keep only those who know what you want to hear. I can think of nothing more poisonous than to rot in the stink of your own reflections.”
―Frank Herbert,Children of Dune
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#yxh #medicinehat #colleengraham #comtv #communityTV #thetrashpanda #freepress #freedomofthepress #yxhcitycouncil #stephencampbell #annmitchell #shilasharps
Nov 2023 Social Media Post Including Letter Sent to Council
Ranting About Community TV
The last two screenshots are from a Council Member in response to Campbell’s e-mail. Given the previous document with the red redactions, it is reasonable to presume that is was from Councillor Sharps.
