— Apparently, the media is part of Martinsville’s problem, at least according to City Council candidate Chad Hall, who runs local television station BTW21.
During a candidate forum hosted by Cardinal News, Hall took aim at the media while discussing the city’s struggles.
“The media has not helped us at all the last two years,” Hall said. “I don’t even know why we even let media in.”
Hall also offered a grim assessment of the city’s future, declaring, “The bottom line is, we need a miracle in this city.”
That’s quite a statement from someone who runs a television station — an industry whose entire business model revolves around, well, the media.
Apparently, when you own a TV station, the media is a good thing. When reporters show up to cover city government, it’s another story.
Of course, Martinsville has plenty of challenges, and media coverage can certainly be criticized. But the idea that the press shouldn’t be allowed into public discussions raises an obvious question: If the media isn’t welcome, who exactly is supposed to tell the public what’s happening?
The comments came during the Cardinal News forum, where candidates discussed issues facing Martinsville.
And if the city needs a miracle, perhaps a little transparency, accountability and open discussion would be a good place to start. - BTW21 Covered the event and Cardinal News sponsored. It was a media event.
Original Facebook source: Open post
Source note: Star News TV · Oct 22, 2026 11:09 AM.
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