EDITORIAL – City Hall PR department takes propaganda to a new level

An editorial by Mel Rothenburger.

IT’S TO BE EXPECTED that governments give themselves a pat on the back whenever possible, including in their “news releases.”

Sometimes those releases have little to do with news but they should, at least, make the effort. The City of Kamloops, however, has taken so-called news releases to the level of propaganda.

A few days ago, the City sent out a statement informing one and all that B.C. Housing and Municipal Affairs Minister Ravi Kahlon has asked for an update on what’s been happening since advisor Henry Braun filed his report on the dysfunction at City Hall.

Kaylon made the request in a letter to council. His letter has duly been placed on the agenda for today’s (Jan. 14, 2025) regular council meeting, as all such letters are. And, as is usually the case, it has been marked as “action required,” that is, council will reply to it.

What’s unusual is that a fairly routine letter from a government minister should be made into a “news release” ahead of the time it will be dealt with on a council agenda. Except, of course, in this case it involves the ongoing battle between Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson and the rest of council and the sanctions placed on him based on Braun’s recommendations.

The “news release” is full of effusive self-praise for the councillors’ handling of the situation. “Council has demonstrated its commitment to meeting provincial expectations and has taken significant steps to implement the recommendations outlined in the Municipal Advisor’s report,” it proudly states, even providing a link to those “significant steps.” The link takes the viewer to a list of previous “news releases” on how City council has taken “decisive action to safeguard governance,” and “to protect confidential information,” blah blah, all of them regarding councillors’ curbs on the mayor.

The newest one assures us in the headline, “City council remains committed to strengthening governance.” Gosh, thanks for letting us know; otherwise we might have assumed they’ve stopped being committed. Who writes this stuff?

Elsewhere in the “news release,” we’re informed of Council’s “broader dedication to fostering transparent governance, ensuring accountable representation for all community members, and prioritizing the safety and well-being of City staff.”

It then quotes January deputy mayor Kelly Hall as being grateful to Kahlon for his encouragement in navigating challenges. And on it goes about community trust, transparency and “a welcoming environment for all community members.”

Good grief. This is the stuff of election campaigns, not of information dissemination.

It remains to be seen whether the Bill Sarai audio-tape issue will be raised in the context of the councillors’ response to Kahlon. It is, after all, intimately connected to the disagreements between Hamer-Jackson and councillors. Fact remains, the Braun report was a failure in that it offered no path to reconciliation between the mayor and councillors, only a blame sheet aimed at the mayor.

However, the fact that a minister has asked for an update is clearly reason enough to churn out some shameless propaganda.

By the way, a second letter from Kahlon notes that the City hasn’t met the housing targets set by the province for the first year, and sets out a reporting timeline. But, apparently, that doesn’t deserve a news release.

Mel Rothenburger is a former regular contributor to CFJC-TV and CBC radio, publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, and is a recipient of the Jack Webster Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award, and a Webster Foundation Commentator of the Year finalist. He has served as mayor of Kamloops, school board chair and TNRD director, and is a retired daily newspaper editor.  He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.