Over the weekend I observed how the media has drifted to the periphery of public affairs. In the old days public affairs revolved around the media, with government relying on media coverage as the only way to reach the people and the public relying on it as the only source of news.
I attended the Obama-McCain forum at the Saddleback Church on Saturday. The night belonged to the candidates, Pastor Rick Warren as moderator, an appreciative audience–and the whole world watching. It was a profound experience, without the interruptions of news people. The media section at the forum was virtually insignificant.
Sandwiched around the forum were two extraordinary events in Mission Viejo public affairs. Sunrise Properties dropped its plan to build high density housing on the Casta Del Sol Golf Course on Monday, the same day the city council voted down a proposal by the ATS firm to cash in on a sell-off of cell tower leases held by the city. The city’s investment advisory commission had voted 5-0 against ATS on Friday. Without activist blogs and a citizen initiative underway to put deals like Casta to the ballot, both ill-conceived projects would have been approved much earlier. Activists 2, Special Interests 0, but it’s only like the bottom of the 4th inning.
Newspapers provided peripheral coverage, but community blogs relentlessly exposed how both schemes would enrich favored consultants (and council campaign contributors) at the public expense. The blogs’ growing readership is now influencing city hall because reader commentary criticizes city officials.
Activists use the blogs to connect directly to the people, just like the candidates and Pastor Rick did Saturday.
Allan Pilger
