Press Hampered
In Getting News

I was very disappointed to learn of Chris Costanzo’s resignation as the local reporter for the Town of Bethel. Although I completely understand Mr. Costanzo’s rationale for resigning, it is a great loss for the citizens of our town. Mr. Costanzo felt that he was chastised inappropriately by Selectman Neal Fox and was left with no alternative but to resign.

In addition to having poor people skills, Mr. Fox does not seem to appreciate the role of the press in our society. A free press is one of the foundations of our democratic society. The founders of the United States enacted the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution to distinguish their new government from that of England, which had long censored the press and prosecuted persons who dared to criticize the British Crown.

The primary purpose of the First Amendment was to create an institution outside the government to operate as an additional check on the three official branches of government. The Supreme Court has consistently upheld the right of the press to perform this function as a check on official power.

In addition to the First Amendment, both the federal government and state government have passed freedom of information and open meeting laws which provide the press with a statutory right to obtain certain information and to observe many of the operations of government.

The minutes of the March 26, 2007 meeting of the Bethel Selectmen indicate that Mr. Fox’s intentions were to set in place a new format that was designed to "minimize disruptions" and "interruptions," and to allow the board to "focus on matters of business." To accomplish this Mr. Costanzo would be offered a packet of information relating to the agenda. The selectmen would decide what information the press would receive. This, the minutes indicate, would eliminate the need to run the photocopier periodically during the meeting.

Mr. Fox does not seem to understand that occasional disruptions, interruptions and, yes, even the occasional use of the photocopy machine, are all a part of the press doing their job. The primary purpose of journalism is to provide citizens with the information they need to be free and self-governing.

A journalist’s first obligation is to the truth and their first loyalty is to the citizens of their community. In order for Mr. Costanzo to do his job, he may need to ask questions, and government officials have a statutory duty to answer those questions and provide requested information.

Efforts by Mr. Fox to suppress the freedom of Mr. Costanzo to report to the citizens of Bethel have caused me to question Mr. Fox’s ability to provide effective leadership. The citizens of Bethel have been well served by Mr. Costanzo. His efforts to find the truth and to keep us well informed have benefited all of us. The Town of Bethel has lost an essential part of our community.

I would encourage the selectmen to reconsider their decisions, apologize, and invite Mr. Costanzo back to again report on their open meetings without prejudice or illegal restrictions.

Greg Hughes

Bethel