Video candidate profiles a service to voting public

During the last round of province-wide municipal elections in 2004, some readers will recall that several candidates for Kings County council or local town councils were profiled in special features that appeared in our Valley publications. Although we remain committed to profiling candidates in the 2008 election, there will be some changes as to how we go about it.

Technology continues to evolve and keeping with the fact that we are a multi-media company with both print and electronic products, we would like profile candidates in the upcoming municipal election using video.

Essentially, any candidate wishing to be profiled would have to contact the reporter responsible for that given council to arrange a time to visit the reporter at Transcontinental Media’s New Minas location or in our other offices throughout the region. There will be standard questions asked: one set designed for current councillors who are reoffering and a second, modified set for those candidates who are not currently elected councillors. The questions and answers will be recorded on digital video and shown on NovaNewsNow.com.

You might be thinking, “What about people who don’t have Internet access?” or “Won’t there be any candidate presence in the newspaper?” Certainly there will be, and anyone who wants to access the Internet has the ability to do so, even if it means a visit to the local public library.

A still photo of the candidate will be taken at the time of the interview and candidates will be asked to fill out a form with some general information about their candidacy. This will be used to provide exposure in the local newspaper and direct people to the video profile on the website.

The video profiles are expected to begin appearing in mid- to late July and will continue until the municipal election in October. They will be handled on a first-come, first-served basis as time permits.

There are a number of good reasons to approach candidate profiles in this manner. It utilizes the multi-media capability available today and voters will be able to see and hear the candidates answering questions in their own words. Fairness is ensured in that everyone will get a chance to answer the same questions.

The interviews will be kept to approximately three to five minutes in length and we reserve the right to edit for sake of presentation or if a candidate attempts to use the forum inappropriately.

It’s true that candidates profiled closer to the election would have an opportunity to view earlier profiles and be aware of the questions to be asked beforehand, but we’d like to think that individual candidates will want to showcase what they have to offer, not simply memorize and recite someone else’s ideas. By waiting too long to book an appointment, a candidate could also run the risk of being excluded because of time limitations.

It should be pointed out also that candidates are in no way obligated to take part in a video profile. However, we see it as another public service to enable voters to make more informed decisions when it comes to casting ballots on election day.