This question has bothered me since I began my career in communications. It has recently become especially important to me as I am concerned by the media coverage of the supposed “disastrous” state of the borough of Montreal-North. I recognize that there are socio-economic problems that urgently need to be addressed, but exclusively negative coverage only exacerbates the problem. By continuously knocking the population down, how are media offering solutions or addressing the population’s needs? It is time to discuss solutions.

I was especially troubled when youth from Montreal-North invited Montreal media to attend a cultural event they organised to show the positive side of their community and a single community radio station attended the event. Yet, journalists and television crews regularly crowd the borough to cover demonstrations and riots. Is bad news really the only news that people want to read?

Are we to understand that when youth from a borough with a “bad reputation” unite to create and present a cultural event that highlights a different side of their community it is not newsworthy? The neighbourhood youth spent months creating dances, songs, poetry and slam with the hope of showing the media and the Montreal community their culture, pride, strength, hope and solidarity. Yet, apparently, hardly any invited media cared.

I understand that newsrooms are stretched to their limit and that attending an event on a Saturday night is not ideal, but it’s the job of a journalist to cover all sides of the story. I wonder if they would have been there if it was a dramatic crime scene.

I am disheartened at the selective coverage this borough has received and hope that media will begin to take a different approach when dealing with disadvantaged communities. Let’s stop focusing on just the problems; rather, bring to light what makes the population proud.