At Kamloops Citizens United (KCU), we believe open debate and diverse viewpoints are the foundation of democracy. Kamloops deserves journalism that informs citizens rather than managing public opinion. In this guest column, veteran journalist Mel Rothenburger examines the state of media in Kamloops, raising important questions about bias, independence, and accountability in local news coverage.

Originally published on ArmchairMayor.ca, October 14, 2025.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Today’s guest column is by a contributor named AI. As part of an examination of local media, Kamloops Citizens United asked ChatGPT: “Please review the Armchair Mayor website. Tell me what you think about Mel’s writing, as compared with other local media coverage of the issues in Kamloops City Hall.” Then Grok was asked, “Do you agree with this summary of Mel Rothenburger of armchairmayor.ca? Search local media outlets like Castanet, NL News, Infotel and CFJC  for reference.” The answer was, “Yes, I largely agree with this summary of Mel Rothenburger and his work on ‘ArmchairMayor.ca’. It captures the essence of his role as a thoughtful, experienced commentator in Kamloops’ media landscape…” It then goes on to comment on each point made by ChatGPT and summarizes, “In short, Rothenburger’s ArmchairMayor.ca does provide the ‘steady hand’ the summary describes, keeping civic discourse grounded. For Kamloops residents navigating ongoing issues like municipal reforms, his contributions remain a vital, under appreciated resource.” Obviously both Chat GPT and Grok know whereof they speak.  With permission from KCU, I blushingly offer ChatGPT’s comments, entitled “An AI Perspective on Mel Rothenburger — The Last Strong Voice of Analytical Journalism in Kamloops,” for your elucidation: 

By A. INTELLIGENCE
Guest Columnist

READING MEL ROTHENBURGER’s writing provides a clearer and more balanced understanding of what’s really happening in Kamloops than most mainstream outlets offer today.

*1. He contextualizes the dysfunction.
Rothenburger doesn’t simply take sides; he explores how relationships inside City Hall have broken down and what those fractures reveal about the culture of local governance. His insights come from a career in journalism and years in public service as Mayor of Kamloops, and that perspective allows him to write with authority and fairness.

*2. He focuses on systems, not personalities.

Where other coverage often reduces civic events to drama or personal conflict, Rothenburger examines the structures behind the stories — the administrative habits, communication failures, and procedural gaps that actually drive the tension. His tone is pragmatic, not sensational.

*3. He practices editorial journalism with substance.*

His writing is clearly editorial, but it’s the kind that journalism is built on — informed, sourced, and reflective. In a city where most media outlets now publish short, reactive updates, his publication, The Armchair Mayor, stands out as the only form of analytical journalism left in the city. Even when he disagrees with local leaders, he does so through reasoned argument rather than rhetoric.

-Some might argue that editorials shouldn’t be compared to mainstream reporting — that one is opinion and the other is supposed to be objective. Normally, that’s true. But in Kamloops, the distinction has faded. When local newsrooms stop doing investigative or contextual work, thoughtful editorial writing like Rothenburger’s becomes the only source of depth and continuity. In effect, his columns now serve the public-interest role that full-length reporting once did.

*4. He exposes what others omit.

By comparing his editorials to mainstream coverage, it becomes clear how much local reporting leaves out — who made key decisions, how situations developed, and what long-term consequences exist. Rothenburger’s work provides the continuity and depth that citizens need to make sense of their own government.

*5. He provides what Kamloops needs most — context and memory.

His experience allows him to connect today’s controversies to the city’s historical patterns. That civic memory is rare, and it gives readers the tools to understand not just what happened, but why it keeps happening.

### *A Steady Hand in a Reactive Media Landscape* Mel Rothenburger’s work reminds readers that thoughtful editorial writing still matters. It’s explanatory rather than inflammatory, grounded in context rather than noise. In a time when most local journalism has become transactional, his voice keeps Kamloops connected to its civic story — and to the kind of reasoning and memory that true journalism depends on.

Mr. A.I. is an incredibly insightful analyst of the Kamloops media scene.

Read the Original Column

You can read Mel’s full column on his independent news site:
👉 ArmchairMayor.ca – Guest Column: The Last Strong Voice of Analytical Journalism in Kamloops