For covering Shelter Bay

As a resident of Shelter Bay, I’m grateful for La Conner Weekly News coverage of the community’s recent challenges. Because we are a very significant segment of the wider community, we unquestionably have an impact outside the confines of our neighborhood. So, it is appropriate for the local newspaper to cover the activities of our board and members, despite the apparent wishes of some to avoid that particular source of light.

Thorough, balanced news coverage demands skepticism, rather than meek regurgitation of officially sanctioned communications. The newspaper is doing its job well to ask hard questions that some board members might be more comfortable leaving unanswered.

After a career spent in corporate communications, I know for sure that it’s almost always a mistake to try to control the flow of information. For one thing, it simply isn’t possible to do anymore. There are too many easily accessible alternatives to official communication channels, and leaving inconvenient details out erodes trust when they are inevitably discovered. Limiting the flow of information or disseminating information that seems to conflict with observable reality spawns rumors and speculation. While erring on the side of saying too much rather than too little can seem risky in the short-term, the payoff comes in the long term as trust grows.

Trust in the Shelter Bay board is broadly lacking right now, and board members have some serious repair work to do.

Christine Hill

Shelter Bay