| Scanned copy, if there are errors, please e-mail me with corrections: Opening comments: More at the end. Here is an exceptional series of articles about how the City of Mississauga is according to the Mississauga News is a "waste of time, energy and money" & "propaganda". This line is speical too - "The move reveals how desperate Mississauga City Council has become in its quest to control the information flow and to put the proper spin on its activities." First, the Mississauga News, prints an artical about the news item, then in the same news paper it is the subject of a edtioral panning the whole idea and then the City staffer who job it is promote this plan, writes in defence project. Suddenly news is starting to get interesting in Mississauga. I wonder what the reason is? Why is the Missing news going after City Hall, especially after saying this "It's no secret that City Hall does not like to be scrutinized. It does not like the media -- or anyone -- to disagree with any of its decisions. City Hall only likes it when the media, especially at the local level, takes a rah-rah approach to its decisions or promotes its various activities or programs." Some thing is changing in the relationship between the Mississauga news and Hazel McCallion. Toronto target of city news program The Mississauga News - Jun 29, 2005 - News article Money wasters - Editoral The Mississauga News - Jun 29, 2005 Not wasting money Letter by Ivana Di Millo, Director, Communications, The City of Mississauga The Mississauga News - Jun 29, 2005 Toronto target of city news program If the media won't come to Mississauga to get stories, then Mississauga will prepare a story package for the media. That's the philosophy behind a new program at City Hall entitled Beyond the Headlines. "We don't have a radio station in Mississauga and we don't have a (commercial) television station and we don't have a daily newspaper," Mississauga Director of Communications Ivana De Millo told City council recently. "So, we're taking matters into our own hands to create a media centre." The initial target of the program will be Toronto television stations, which rarely venture west of the Etobicoke Creek unless bloodshed is involved. By preparing five-minute video vignettes of Mississauga happenings and placing them on their website, the City is creating the opportunity for TV stations to download the images and interviews and put them together into their own story. "Sometimes TV stations just can't have a truck come to Mississauga, so they can use our footage to do their own story," De Millo told council. "We have a number of topics we're going to highlight." The first video vignette featured the opening of the new Scottish-style BraeBen Golf Course on the former site of the Britannia landfill site. The video, created by Corporate Marketing Manager Paul Damaso who has experience in television production, featured interviews with the club's manager, the golf pro and the new executive chef, along with many shots of the stark "links-style" course. De Millo said later that the initiative is an attempt to get more information to Mississauga residents by partnering with the media. "We're not the first ones out there doing this," she said. In fact, in many large American cities, there are similar ready-made interviews and video images available on municipal web sites. The production is being done by staff at a cost of about $4,000 a video. Audio clips for radio stations could also be added to the mix in future. The productions will also be made available to Rogers Community Television for their use. The City will monitor how much use is being made of the video by television stations and evaluate the program as it goes along, De Millo said. The Mississauga News - Jun 29, 2005 Money wasters - Editoral It appears the City of Mississauga is so hungry for the media to accept its propaganda that it is willing to pay to make sure things are done its way. A new initiative called Beyond the Headlines will see City staff produce video clips that will be made available to the media to use as part of their news items. The clips, which will cost taxpayers $4,000 for each one produced, are earmarked almost exclusively for Toronto television stations. The hope is the Toronto media will start taking notice of what is happening at Mississauga City Hall. What a waste of time, energy and money. The move reveals how desperate Mississauga City Council has become in its quest to control the information flow and to put the proper spin on its activities. It's no secret that City Hall does not like to be scrutinized. It does not like the media -- or anyone -- to disagree with any of its decisions. City Hall only likes it when the media, especially at the local level, takes a rah-rah approach to its decisions or promotes its various activities or programs. Council has forgotten that a free and open media is essential to the continuance of good government. Unlike provincial and federal politics, municipal councils do not have opposition parties to question their behaviour. In many ways the media has to serve that role. That is what this space in particular is reserved for and why we take City Hall to task on many issues, including this one. We believe that, at a cost, the City of Mississauga will find the Toronto media will not be interested in its video clips because it has its own city to cover. Besides, the Toronto media will recognize the obvious attempt at controlling information. If it thinks a story is worthy enough, Toronto television stations will send their own film crews. In the meantime, we can think of better ways how tax dollars can be spent. The Mississauga News - July 6, 2005 Not wasting money Dear Editor:Re: "Money wasters", June 29 edition. I am writing to correct the inaccuracy that appeared in your editorial of June 29, "Money wasters" regarding the City of Mississauga's new communication vehicle "Beyond the Headlines" which will provide residents with another way to receive information about City services. "Beyond the Headlines" will not, as your editorial states, "cost taxpayers $4,000 for each one produced". These vignettes were produced with absolutely no cost to taxpayers, using existing resources of City staff. Our City staff are vigilant about finding ways to do more with less and to lessen the tax burden on residents. To brand the City as "Money wasters" as your headline states is inaccurate and irresponsible. Our vignettes are posted on our website as a way to provide residents (and visitors to our website and potential visitors to our City) with interesting information on City services, programs and facilities. These videos also provide interested media with stock footage they can use to create their own stories. Our focus is simple: providing information to residents in cooperation with all our partners, including the media. Ivana Di Millo Director, Communications The City of Mississauga [COMMENTS BY DON B. - ] |
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