Editorial / Local democracy is worth fighting for
WITH THE campaign to find who will represent Shetland in the next Scottish Parliament set to hot up in the coming weeks, it is the right time to be conscious of the importance of such a contest.
Democracy is not a God-given right; it is a complex and at times frustrating process that continuously needs to be fought for.
And while most people will agree that the world is in a terrible state right now, it is all the more important to stay informed and participate in the democratic process, locally and beyond.
Here is a figure to consider: In last week’s Faroese general election the turnout was almost 90 per cent; the turnout in Shetland at the last Scottish Parliament election was a mere 66 per cent.
Shetland News has always tried to offer a ‘public sphere’ to enable local debate, be it on our website through the letters and opinion sections, and via our social media presence.
We have just published our election pages introducing all the candidates in the forthcoming Scottish election to stimulate interest, debate, challenge and participation.
So far, so good. As this editorial coincides with us publishing responses from election candidates to online harassment and intimidation, it is the right moment to be absolutely clear on this: we encourage debate, but we will not tolerate any abuse or offensive language on our pages.
Comments on our Facebook page are monitored and moderated, certain word and phrases are filtered out automatically, and comments are regularly deleted.
Only this morning we had to close the comments section below Wednesday’s endometriosis story because one reader appeared unable to cope with the content.
We are reserving the right to remove commentary that:
- Makes unfounded or unproved allegations.
- Uses language that may offend, including swear words with asterisks.
- Breaks the law or encourages anyone else to break the law.
- Is racist, sexist, homophobic, abusive or otherwise discriminatory.
- Includes personal details such as phone numbers and addresses.
- Could amount to bullying, harassment, or trolling.
- Could be regarded as spamming – the repeating of content more than once.
We also reserve the right, if deemed necessary, to ban commentators from our pages. Please feel free to alert us to anything that may have slipped through by direct messaging or e-mailing news@shetnews.co.uk
That said, we are looking forward to a lively election campaign during which we shall endeavour to give all the candidates the right to have their say, challenge them on their policies and get the honest answers that voters deserve.
If you would like submit questions and topics you would like us to raise with the candidates, please fill in this form.
And finally, for the avoidance of doubt, if we report from the manifesto launch of the local SNP candidate, then there is no bias in that. We would love to do the same with the Lib Dems, Labour or any other of the parties. Fact is, alas, that so far there has neither been an invite nor a manifesto.
Many thanks for your ongoing support.
Become a member of Shetland News
Shetland News is asking its readers to consider paying for membership to get additional perks:
- Removal of third-party ads;
- Bookmark posts to read later;
- Exclusive curated weekly newsletter;
- Hide membership messages;
- Comments open for discussion.
If you appreciate what we do and feel strongly about impartial local journalism, then please become a member of Shetland News by either making a single payment, or setting up a monthly, quarterly or yearly subscription.
Already a member? Sign in to hide this message.
