Mainstream Media Tries to Spin Mexican Flag Furor
By Ron Lee
Investigative Reporter
(Originally published June 2005) Medford, OR – After an investigation, the US~Observer reported that the Oregon Employment Office was flying a Mexican flag inside its office, and that it was being flown higher than the nearby American flag. What ensued was an onslaught of public outcry to remove the flag and, in fact, they did, but they also removed the American flag which brought about another article and further public furor.
Now, it seems as though the Employment offices are enlisting the aid of their local mainstream news media to do a little clean-up in the aftermath of the Mexican flag fiasco.
From making the complainant, Earl Howard – who brought the flag issue to light – appear to be fanatical by asserting he has issue with pencils imported from China, to stating that pictures used in the articles of “publications” distorted the facts, the Medford Mail Tribune has shown itself as a spokesperson for the establishment and not a voice of the people.
According to Paul Walter of NewsWithViews, “this issue proves mainstream media can not be trusted to report accurately.”
Never did the writer, Meg Landers, of the Medford Mail Tribune ask to see the photos, or any correspondence the US~Observer received from the State agency admitting to their indiscretion.
Read the Tribune article at mailtribune.com. You may read the articles written by the US~Observer and NewsWithViews by clicking on the following stories:
Placing the Mexican Flag above “Old Glory”
American Flag Taken Down In Order “Not To Offend”
Editor’s Note: In our first flag story we asked people to e-mail us their view on the article by asking the simple question, “Should ‘Old Glory’ be flown below the Mexican National flag?” We have received over four thousand responses, some of which we have included in our special Flag Letters to the Editor in this edition. We only received one letter where the respondent simply said, “Yes” in answer to the question.
Because of the initial article, the amount of public opinion, and the photographs included, we received a response from from the main public relations officer of the Oregon Employment Office that the flag had been removed. But what we didn’t know, at first, is that the American flag had been removed as well, prompting our follow-up article.
