Mums the media

Apparently the EPA not talking to the media is just not sexy enough in news terms to interest the outside media.

Regional media has been quieter about the issue than the EPA's new policy. Obviously they have plenty to write about and don't believe information squabbles sell enough papers. We need disease, deceit and contamination before it's worthy of their attention.

Perhaps that's why a New York Times reporter is in jail for something she didn't write.

There's no doubt that the EPA's new policy to not talk to the media about the Libby superfund project will cause local newspaper and radio reporters to have to work harder to ferret out information from the federal agency. But it also means less information about the cleanup, about safety issues and about all that money the feds are supposed to be spending here.

Of course, there's a large number of people locally who are ambivalent about this policy and maybe even happy because no news about the superfund is good news to them.

That's too bad, because in this case, what they don't know may very well kill them.

There's a large issue here: Our government is supposed to be responsive to the people and supportive of a unfettered press.

It's bad enough that the overall media doesn't seem to care but when the public shrugs its shoulders, we're all in serious trouble — Roger Morris