Making Poverty Sexy

There is something depressing about having to “sexify” development issues in order to give them the attention they deserve. How can we create the same uproar on young girls enduring exploitation in Saskatoon as is elicited by news of Michael Ignatief's road tour. community must accept the blame - in a corporate ratings race, community stories are sacrificed for politics, for that is considered more newsworthy.

It is time to redefine what is newsworthy. A lot of communities have taken back their power from corporate and political authority and are helping to shift priorities in media practices around the world.

There are many dangerous assumptions at play within the media: one being that people are heartless and do not want to read human-interest stories (code word for development) or that to lure the younger generation of readers/viewers, one has to dumb down. Admittedly, the pressure to conform to what others are doing is immense, especially since so much of what newspapers do is advertisement driven but that does not mean it is impossible to focus on community service in an interesting manner. It requires creativity and leadership, both of which are in ample supply through out Saskatoon.