Fire department information was presented as news | Letters | Oct. 30

Published 2:38 pm Friday, October 30, 2009

As we near the finish line this election season, I want to call attention to a conscious attempt by Bainbridge Island Fire Department to shape the battlefield for its EMS levy. I understand the realities of campaigns and public relations, but there are elements here that seem overly cynical towards the voters.

BIFD paid a total of $16,000 (May 2008 and August 2009) to BITV for station sponsorship, logo design and public relations videos run on BITV. The quid pro quo was that BITV would run a stated number of positive news stories on its B-NEWS program. The BIFD news pieces run by BITV never revealed before or after the repeated broadcasts that the productions were paid for by BIFD.

Call me old-fashioned but paid-for promos masquerading as news under BITV’s “highest journalistic standards” are wrong. This pay-to-play has gotten many a politician and organization into serious integrity problems.

BIFD knew its was going to submit a levy to the public and took steps to buy positive news coverage for $16,000. While BIFD desires to see its levy succeed, taxpayers should be angry that their money is used to shape public perception of a fire department. Where’s the free coverage from our supposed “community television station?”

I, for one, do not believe BIFD should be buying informationals masquerading as honest journalistic news reporting. Couldn’t this $16,000 have been used for EMS services, allowing the EMS levy to be judged on the real merits?

James M. Olsen

Fort Ward