The arrest of admittedly controversial Ezra Levant has to be seen in that same light:
https://youtu.be/BqBkpFSOir8?si=WXnauxjyg0a5wY5d
Here’s a local angle:
in the attempt of documenting the last two MRC Pontiac meetings where exorbitant property tax raises were being discussed, potentially putting half of the residents in the Pontiac out of their houses, I heard from warden Jane Toller that the deputies passed a regulation in 2001, that video and audio recordings could not be made while the meeting takes place. Instead as was confirmed by Toller in a phone call today, the MRC Pontiac offers video and radio journalists a recording of the meeting 24 hours after the fact, that can be downloaded from their website
That may have done the trick in in 2001, yet in today’s instant news production, that custom appears not only illegitimate but also hopelessly outdated.
Fortunately according to my research that regulation is nil and void because it creates a dependency with the county that is inappropriate for free reporting.
Instead audio and video press must be accommodated so that broadcasting quality images and sound can be produced live from the meeting.
Every single attending journalist must be allowed to produce his or her own images and audio without interference by the MRC.
please watch my documentation from last Wednesday
https://x.com/marenabroadcom/status/1861929272853610895?s=46
to judge for yourself what treatment I received. Compared to my reporting experience in West- Germany, this is bordering abuse of authority and interfering with reporting on the way the county makes decisions – that is a crime.
Unfortunately, horrible sound quality of the building where meetings have taken place and an obvious lack of resources to accommodate video media do not help to facilitate independent reporting, or even an understanding in visitors what actually takes place in the meeting.
Warden Jane Toller also confirmed that social media reacted positive and confirmed a better online channelling of the meeting (fb) last Wednesday, yet the room sound was still lousy to attendees in person, and speakers with questions were not visible to the Facebook feed.
Also interesting here is that anybody can call themselves a journalist – to protect independent reporting in memoriam of bad experiences throughout many different periods in history, nobody needs to obtain a permit to report, and, once given, accreditations never expire.
Any publication however is subjected to a whole catalogue of regulations to guide the presentation of information, and reporters and journalists are liable for what goes over their air time.
I am sure that we can find a way to invite independent journalists and make it easy to obtain their own images or go live from the meeting – it is very unpleasant indeed to be put on the spot because there is no technical accommodations for video journalists because in fact the MRC appears unaware of applicable regulations and rather hostile in the reaction of my reporting. That is a strange, secrecy and authority cloaked light in which the MRC does not want to appear, I’m sure and I thought I’d express my curiosity how we will be moving forward in order to return to a lawful live/video documentation of MRC Pontiac public meetings.