School board sets media rules

Breckenridge school district sets rules for media

This may seem minor to many of you, but the district refusing microphones on the table, to me, is inexcusable.

Edit: I should add the three-hour rule is, in my eyes, a COMPLETE AND TOTAL violation of Minnesota's open meeting laws. I have NEVER in all my years covering government meetings in this state ever gave notice to a school board, city council or county board that I would be covering the meeting.

 

That's bull. You need to get in their face about that.

 

If it were in my coverage area, I would be making their lives so miserable it wouldn't be funny.

 

That's pure crap on the part of the school district.

 

They might be able to get away with the microphone deal, but three-hour notice on an open meeting? Utter bullshit. It looks like that Fargo TV station's getting their lawyer on it, and that problem oughta be solved pretty quickly.

 

The Wahpeton Daily News doesn't have anything. I guess that paper doesn't like to report "bad news".

 

I would get every TV station and reporter and blogger who covers the school board to bring a couple microphones and all put them on their desk the very next meeting.

 

Or, instead of acting vindictive, you could ask for a sit-down with the Superintendent to discuss the situation, and maybe work it out like adults. Then, if that doesn't work, and it is illegal, you can have your paper contact their lawyer.

 

There is nothing to discuss. The school district is 100.00000 percent in the wrong.

 

You go to your lawyers and let them start the legal process rolling, then go to the meeting, with microphone.

 

I do have a bit of background from a discussion with a reporter who has covered Breckenridge School District.

There is no discussion with the superindendent. From the way it was explained to me, it's like a little fiefdom and they do not cooperate with the media - print or broadcast - in any way shape or form. This is what I was told - it's second-hand.

 

Geez. You're no fun.

I love how people set "rules" for the media as if we are supposed to abide by whatever rules they set.

Some schools, for example, may go crazy if you try to interview a student on campus without getting some form signed.

College teams may come down on you if you try to contact a player or his family without going through the SID. Businesses may prohibit you from talking to customers or employees.

What they don't realize is that we only need to follow these rules if we choose to. Not because they say so.

In this particular case, school board meeting are open and public and the public should be able to hear what these folks are saying. If that means putting a microphone up near the front, they have to live with that or resign their positions.