Not Necessarily the News

By Cindy Gomez
Editor and HPR Staff

Lack of in-depth news is making the need for independent community-based news more important than ever.
We have all seen a story that left us feeling like we still don’t know what happened. It happens more often that you think! Frequently, news reporters are simply reporting what they are told by an “expert,” on the scene. As consumers of news, we have to dig deeper because that type of reporting isn’t necessarily the news.

Two local reporters, one in newsprint and the other in radio, both expressed concerns about being overworked and having less ability to be effective in reporting the news, due to these cutbacks and heavier workloads. Budget cutbacks and expanded responsibilities are limiting research, space and time in news.

Incomplete news does a disservice to the public. It is less detailed, more superficial. There is also a glaring lack of follow-up on stories. We hear story after story of shocking community news, only to never hear of the outcome? Being uninformed can be blissful, but also dangerous. Here are just a couple of examples of issues in news reporting that require our immediate attention.

Incomplete Information

An example of fragmented reporting locally happened last February when a short story buried in the paper reported that long-time resident, Deng Madit (a Sudanese man), was arrested by border patrol agents at a Fargo bus station. Deng was asked to give proof of his immigration status and when he became indignant (he is a legal permanent resident) the ICE officers felt threatened. Deng attempted to leave and a bystander tackled him. Then Fargo police entered and charged the man with threatening an officer.

The ACLU and other civil rights organizations fight human rights violations which can occur in these “immigration checks.” They have repeatedly advised people they are under no obligation to “prove” their citizenship. However, in this case Deng’s refusal to provide proof seems to have only fueled the ire of the ICE agents, and became the sole cause of his detention.

More than a year later, Deng remains in prison for becoming angry and refusing to cooperate with, what he felt, was a violation of his civil and human rights. He also faces possible deportation for the alleged assault on ICE agents. Deng’s deported would leave behind a wife and several children. None of this information was reported to the public.

A local community group researching police practices took interest in the story sought out information in court records. They found out that Deng, a permanent legal resident, had the right to be where he was at the time the ICE began demanding proof of immigration status. They also found Deng was held in jail and was to be released to a halfway house although his attorney was demanding a full release. With little effort, the community group found much more about the story than the news ever told.

Given the ongoing issues of immigration nationwide, and the recent concern that Arizona-style laws are being proposed in North Dakota and Minnesota, one would expect a story like this to get rigorous follow-up and initial coverage consisting of more than just a blip on the police blotter page.

Making the News
Ever hear the saying “the world is run by those who show up”? It’s true. Just look around. Politicians call a press conference and say “we anticipate a victory”, and soon everyone is reporting it as fact. During George W. Bush’s second election bid, a call from Jeb’s state (Florida) prematurely declaring a “projected” victory for Bush cascaded into a premature declaration by every major network asserting the same thing. Sometimes just getting in front of a camera or reporter and telling “a” story, makes it “the” story.

I thought of this as I heard last night that Chief Ebbinger reported to the news that his proposed Fake Gun Ordinance is expected to pass in the spring. Given that the ordinance has only been through its first reading, the reality is that his “news” was more conjecture than a reality. The second reading will not happen until January 10th. Reservations about the ordinance within the community as well as the Council seem to indicate that the chief should be anticipating the backlash from the first reading of the ordinance, before anticipating victory.

Minnesota is a pro-gun state with a rich tradition of hunting and gun culture. Any law making fake guns illegal is just another step toward removing 2nd Amendment rights in the eyes of pro-gun constituents. Perhaps no one knows this better than the chief of police. A story that “The Moorhead Chief of Police Faces Harsh Criticism From Pro-Gun Activists” is just as likely as the one recently reporting that the ordinance will pass; and much more realistic.

The National Rifle Association has already listed Chief Ebbinger’s proposal on their “action” web page. A Guns Network post bolsters the fears that Ebbinger’s ordinance is simply an excuse to infringe on 2nd Amendment rights stating “There is already a law in place making it a felony to use a fake gun in a threatening way. The new ordinance was an attempt to make simply carrying the fake gun a misdemeanor.” Another thing the council and the Chief should anticipate is possible lawsuits from pro-gun activists if such a law is passed.

This proposed ordinance would make kids’ toys illegal. War reenactments would be illegal. Fake guns at parades would be illegal. We would need to define each exemption and every toy gun that was “realistic” enough to be considered illegal under the ordinance, how the fake guns can be stored or carried, and on and on. Even if not an infringement on 2nd amendment rights, what’s the point? By the time they sort all that out, the ordinance will look like Swiss cheese anyway; and be just as watertight.

Those most likely to own or carry a fake gun are gun aficionados, like the husband of Moorhead City Council member Nancy Otto. Otto and Luther Stuland both pointed out to the chief that even transporting the fake gun across town so Otto’s husband could show it to his son would be illegal.

Teenagers and kids (especially young boys) are the most likely to be found in possession of these fake guns. In cities across the country where such ordinances were passed, stories abound of children arrested and charged with violating “fake gun ordinances”. In Washington State, 10-year-old Alandis Ford was charged with a misdemeanor for repeatedly playing with the $5.96 toy gun his mother bought him at Wal-Mart. In Florida, an 11 year old girl was arrested for throwing a toy gun at her father when he put her in time out. This isn’t what families want for their children in Moorhead. The chief and city council should also anticipate backlash from parents.

Discussion with some city council members yielded no clear provision in the ordinance that would prevent police misuse, except the word of the chief of police and County Attorney Melton. But laws usually last longer than the tenure of city officials and the word of one man or woman, fallible as they are, cannot be the only safeguard against abuse.

Relying on the discretion of two officials amounts to a huge loophole. Our children will fall into that hole.

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