I think it’s safe to say Burns Lake has had an unusual couple of weeks. Considering most small towns are used to the peace and quiet, we have been dealing with a great amount of tragedy.
First, a body was found in the ditch on Hwy. 16 between Burns Lake and Houston, and the cause of death is still uncertain. Then, a suspicious house fire involved three people and left one of them with serious burns. And if that wasn’t enough, a triple murder has placed April 2015 in the official list of months we do not want to remember (yes, that is a real list).
The good news is that Burns Lake has proven to be a resilient community. After all, this was not the first time we encountered tragedy. After the explosion at Babine Forest Products that killed two workers, injured 20 others and left hundreds of people unemployed in 2012, the community became notorious for its capacity to unite and overcome difficult times. New and exciting ideas and projects have taken place since then. The town built a brand new recreation facility, a state-of-the-art hospital and has paved the way for more exciting projects to appear.
The other side of what has happened is that, as the local newspaper, it is our duty to report on what is happening in our community - and that includes tragedies. By some comments left on our Facebook page, we noticed that sometimes people are not content when we report on local tragedies. But newspapers have a responsibility to serve the community by reporting on all facts - good or bad as we receive the news.
In 2014, six students at the University of California were killed by a man who went on a rampage on campus. The student-run newspaper called “The Bottom Line” decided to hold off on publishing anything about the mass shooting in an attempt to minimize harm. The Bottom Line faced backlash from media organizations from all over the world, for a simple reason - journalists do not minimize harm by avoiding coverage of important events; they minimize harm by being accurate, fair and presenting relevant information to readers.
We understand that when tragedy strikes people are in pain, and that is why journalists strive to present balanced stories - by showing all sides of an issue -, respect publication bans and present information that might help people make sense of what has happened.
Furthermore, newspapers play an important role in preventing future incidents by disseminating information and educating the public. For example, by learning how a house fire started; how someone got distracted while driving and crashed; how people reacted badly when they encountered wildlife and caused an incident; or what not to do when hiking by yourself, the public is receiving vital information that can help prevent future tragedies. Not to mention, stories about tragedies usually include police comments reminding the public of important information, and sometimes the public can assist a police investigation by providing clues. Of course, some media organizations often abuse that power and present stories in a way that is sensationalist in nature (although this sometimes happens in Canada, we see it more often in the United States). But journalism itself – used as it’s supposed to - plays a vital role in society.
So although we do not enjoy reporting on tragedies, it is our responsibility to inform our readers and provide accurate and relevant information. From the reaction I saw on social media, I can tell that most people in Burns Lake are shocked by what has happened and that people would still like to think that we live in a safe and welcoming community.
In the words of our mayor Luke Strimbold, “let’s unite together in thoughts and prayers for the safety and wellbeing of all our community members.”