Mike Sepe: Enough! Media Should Focus on Issues, not Cianci's Past

To the editor:

Way back in the late 1960’s as a student at Rhode Island Junior College (CCRI)

I recall One of my professors drilling into his students the most effective way to assure that the public will remember a message is to repeat it three times in a presentation. That principle has survived over the decades and is a part of just about every marketing message broadcast and published by contemporary media outlets.

Unless you’ve been stranded on the South Pole for the past 6 months, you know that Providence Mayoral Candidate Buddy Cianci has two conviction on his record. One, nearly 30-years agoin state court involving a domestic situation and one some 12-years ago in the federal court. Local and national media have harped upon this fact at every opportunity (with this newspaper leading the Pack). It almost seems that somewhere there’s a journalist software package sold to the media which correlates Mr. Cianci with his decade- old personal history as a preface to any substantive news story or op-ed article regarding his candidacy.

Since his announcement earlier this year not a day passes without a mention of Mr. Cianci’s past. This is beyond the pale. This is an insult to every Providence voter. Just as Nathaniel’s Hester Prynne was forced to do in the mid-17th century, now in the 21st century certain media want Mr. Cianci to wear a Scarlet Letter. . . A shield to prevent voters from actually measuring Cianci’s plans for the future of the City of Providence against the proposals of Jorge Elorza and Daniel Harrop

Why is the media Hell-bent on over killing the past? Perhaps it’s just human nature. Isn’t it much easier to fill-up content with the decades old indiscretions of Mr. Cianci than to pursue some high quality journalism and offer the readers/viewers/ listeners some meaningful comparisons of on the issues which will make a difference in their city’s future? This is especially significant if the reporting outlet is one which has experienced a recent near total evisceration of its once nationally renowned news gathering staff.

The media needs to put Buddy Cianci’s past personal history where it belongs and level the playing field for all of the mayoral candidates. The media needs to inform the public to assist them in making their ballot selection. Who will best market the City of Providence to bring in new bossiness into the City? Who can best inspire the youth of Providence to Heightened Goals.

This is not an endorsement of Buddy Cianci for Mayor. This is an appeal the the professionalism in the media ranks to rise up to those standards of the past, before sensationalism and profit over public policy took control.

Michael J. Sepe

Former Cranston City Council President

Current Chair of Cranston Democratic City Committee

Patch file photo