While The McGill Daily constantly congratulates itself for its role (vis-à-vis SSMU, the McGill administration, et cetera) in promoting social consciousness and a sense of community, its coverage of upcoming municipal elections reveals the extent to which it is trapped within the “ghetto bubble” it so passionately denounces. Simply put, not a word has been spent on elections that directly concern all McGill students. This contrasts with local papers such as La Presse and the Gazette, in addition to campus papers from Montreal’s other universities, which all feature election content in every issue. As The Daily correctly reminds us during SSMU and federal elections, voter participation among university students, and young people more generally, has hit rock bottom. It is shocking and disappointing to see The Daily contribute to this epidemic, despite the fact that many of the issues at the heart of the current municipal debate are regularly featured in the newspaper’s pages (sustainability, housing, ethics, et cetera). It is unbecoming of a newspaper of repute to be so detached from the everyday concerns of so many of its readers. It directly contradicts The Daily’s Statement of Principles, which state that its fundamental goal is to “serve as a critical and constructive forum for the exchange of ideas and information about McGill University and related communities.” More importantly, it is extremely irresponsible. The coterie from the ROC (also known as the Daily Editorial Board) ought to take notice and adjust accordingly.
Farid Muttalib
U4 Honours History
EDITOR’S NOTE: This letter was received on October 22, before The Daily had offered some coverage of the municipal elections.