“We report the news” – David Day

Here we go again.

Elected officials and law enforcement have a duty to represent and report to the public on a regular basis. They should be as transparent as possible.

As public servants, their pay comes from our taxes. They are held accountable by the press and citizens. When the Vicksburg Daily News came along we really shook up that wagon. Most in public office and law enforcement enjoyed a comfortable relationship with the press and didn’t have to worry about prying eyes.

The Vicksburg Daily News reports the news. We don’t have a corporate slant or an agenda. If something happens we report it. That’s it. That’s how it works. If you want the approved version of the news I guess you’ve got options.

We work for you, not elected officials and not law enforcement.

Today, once again, as the publisher of the Vicksburg Daily News, I feel compelled to remind elected officials and law enforcement that our job is to report the news. NOT necessarily their approved version, but what we observe and the information we collect. For far too long elected officials and law enforcement have had a compliant press that publishes what they are told.

For example, the Warren County Board of Supervisors don’t live stream their meetings, including their work sessions. Why not? The Vicksburg Daily News spoke with Board President Kelle Barfield and asked her about this. Apparently, it was discussed but now, several months later, those meetings are still not live-streamed. They have the framework, they have the ability and they’ve been asked directly to do it, but they have not.

Regardless of our personal opinions of them doing a good job or a bad job, they are doing that job without live streaming it to the public.

President Barfield, can you make that happen as soon as possible, please?

Law enforcement and other elected official, let’s work on presenting the information to the public in a timely and safe manner that doesn’t impede investigations while killing the rumor mill that social media can become.