On August 7, 2016, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver ran a story on the demise of local journalism.

In the story, David Simon, former print journalist and writer of the highly successful televisions series The Wire, testified that not having reporters at government meetings will enable corruption to run rampant. Watch the video below.

I agree. Shedding light on corruption is what stops it. The more people that are watching, the less chance corruption will happen. It's as easy as that.

While it is true that the decline of local journalism has significantly reduced the number or people watching what is going on in the shadows of government, it doesn't mean that communities and their citizens are helpless.

The answer is citizen journalism. You do not need to be a professional reporter or journalist to share what you know about what's happening in your community. You can tell your story in your own words, and I can guarantee you that people in your community want to hear it.

You are already seeing it happen on Facebook, Twitter, various blogs, and other information-sharing networks. And, you are seeing it happen on goCapeBreton.com. The stories you see on goCapeBreton.com about local politics and government are not posted by people who work for goCapeBreton.com. They are written and posted by citizens in the community, just like you.

If you like something about your community, say it. If you don't like something, share your concern and help fix it. You deserve to have a voice. You can shape your community. Find out more about goCapeBreton.com

“Sunlight is the best disinfectant.”
― William O. Douglas