 |
| Outta Your Backpack Media Native American police guard Arizona Senators and politicians in Tuba City |
Censored News
http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com
The collapse of journalism in the Native American andmainstream media was never more glaring than when Arizona Senators John McCainand Jon Kyl came to Tuba City on the Navajo Nation on Thursday to steal Navajo and Hopi water rightsto the Little Colorado River for non-Indians.
While the staff reporters were no shows, the armchairjournalism was obvious: A couple of phone calls, a few stolen quotes and aborrowed or stolen photo are all standard for the parasite journalists who maketheir living from plagiarism and rewrites.
 |
| Protesters in Tuba City/Outta Your Backpack Media |
The only bright spot was the excellent coverage by theindependent Indigenous youths at Outta Your Backpack Media in Flagstaff, whowere live on the scene with breaking news and photos. Paper Rocket Productionsalso provided an excellent video. KNAU public radio in Flagstaff also got itright.
However, in the days that followed this important event, itwas obvious that the Native American media, local press and the mainstreammedia have no interest in serious journalism, and could care less about Navajoand Hopi water rights for future generations.
As for the lack of staff writers covering this event, as usual IndianCountry Today was a no show. It has been years since an ICT staff reporter wasactually seen out covering a news story in Arizona. Where were the Navajo Timesstaff reporters and photographers? The stringer’s article posted at NavajoTimes on Tuesday is too short to be considered serious journalism on thisimportant issue. The Navajo Hopi Observer is close by, yet on Tuesday, fivedays later, there was no coverage.
As for the Arizona Republic or the Arizona Daily Star, noone expected serious coverage. Arizona’s two largest newspapers deserverecognition for bolstering white supremacy in the Arizona government, thecrimes of the border militia and the banning of books in Tucson public schools,by way of the two newspapers failed coverage.
 |
| Paper Rocket Productions Protest in Tuba City |
The New York Times blog post on the water rights protest inTuba City doesn’t deserve a mention. Yawn.
The bottom line is this: Arizona Sen. John McCain and theirbuddies in Arizona, in Congress and at Peabody Coal, found it fairly easy todupe the public into believing in the so-called “Navajo Hopi land dispute.”
The real purpose was to clear more than 14,000 Navajos from theirhomeland to make way for Peabody Coal’s two coal mines on Black Mesa. The coalgoes to power the Navajo Generating Station, near Page, Arizona, on theNavajo Nation.
Operated by the Salt River Project, the Navajo GeneratingStation is one of the nation’s dirtiest coal fired power plants and a majorcause of greenhouse gases.
McCain, Kyl and their buddies thought the theft of waterrights would be another slam dunk of Navajos and Hopis, especially since theArizona senators are aided by corrupt Navajo and Arizona politicians, along with Navajoswho were once on McCain’s paid staff, and an attorney hired by the NavajoNation who is working against the Navajo peoples best interests.
McCain and his buddies want to steal Navajo and Hopi waterrights to the Little Colorado River to keep the dirty power plants operatingand to enable their friends to keep living their lavish lifestyles downriver inPhoenix and Tucson, with their golf courses in the desert and theirpro-military corporations like Raytheon Missiles.
For all those staff reporters, photographers andbroadcasters who were taking a long Easter vacation and ignoring this vitalnews story, below is the coverage from the unpaid Native American youths, andfrom public radio. It is the coverage you failed to obtain.
Arizona media, consider giving back your awards for yourexcellent coverage this year. The news coverage of the Tohono O’odham Nation,at the southern end of the state, has also been fraudulent. Reporters havefailed to even go out and speak to Tohono O’odham traditional people, exposethe rampant corruption by elected tribal officials, or the militarization and abuse by the USBorder Patrol and Homeland Security.
It was a sad day for journalism when the Arizona senatorscame to Tuba City to steal Navajo and Hopi water rights. Call the media and askthem why they were not present, and if they were present, ask them why theyfailed in their ethical responsibility as journalists.
Indigenous ActionMedia/Outta Your Backpack Media:
From the frontlines of thewater wars: Diné and Hopi water rights at risk, protesters gather on NavajoNation
http://www.indigenousaction.org
or
http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2012/04/navajos-and-hopis-protest-kyl-and.html
Video and article byPaper Rocket Productions:
http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2012/04/video-upset-navajos-protest-mccain-kyl.html
KNAU: Senators Kyland McCain meet angry protesters in Tuba City:
http://www.knau.org/post/senators-kyl-and-mccain-meet-angry-protesters-tuba-city
Top Stories Censored News 2012
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com
