Indigenous Peoples and Human Rights

May 1, 2013

Dirty Coal on Navajoland: Hold the media responsible

By Brenda Norrell
Censored News
www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com

Navajo horseback ride to protect Black Mesa
The media, like the Navajo Nation Council, is responsible for that vote for more dirty coal energy from the Navajo Generating Station. The media has refused to tell the real story. Reporters that could have been out on Black Mesa all these years talking to the people, never bothered to go. The media was too often silenced by the advertising dollars of Peabody Coal, Navajo Generating Station, and its operator the Salt River Project.

In Arizona cities, the media was willing to push for more dirty coal energy and more destruction and disease for Navajos. The Arizona media didn't want their own electricity coming from a filthy power plant in their own backyard. They didn't mind Navajos hauling their water, while their pristine water went for coal mining and power plants. The big city reporters wanted Arizona to have a future. They didn't care if Navajos had a future.

Reporters found it easy not to go to Black Mesa. They were either co-opted by their publishers and editors or stalled by their own laziness. They were willing to publish the hoax and the spin. They were willing to spin the lies, and make senators like John McCain into heroes, pander to the Interior, ignore the backdoor deals, cater to corrupt tribal politicians, and refuse to investigate the non-Indian attorneys.

Reporters were not willing to take the risks and tell the truths that the future of the planet depends on.

Read more: AP: Navajo president OKs lease extension:
http://www.kob.com/article/stories/S3017494.shtml?cat=504

Brenda Norrell has been a reporter in Indian country for 31 years. She was a reporter for Navajo Times, during the 18 years that she lived on the Navajo Nation, and stringer for AP and USA Today. After serving as a longtime staff reporter for Indian Country Today, she was censored and then terminated. She created Censored News in 2006, now in its 7th year.

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