Frank: my thoughts exactly! I get so annoyed at the so-called reporters here. NP, at the Univ. of WY has been fundraising all week on the strength of their local news caoverage, yet not once this week did I hear THEM do a report on how the University wants to abolish all foriegn languages AND the UW Family Practice Health Centers! Some invesigatve journalism!

I believe the media is driven by what they perceive the market wants. Reporters have become entertainers judged on ratings, not the content of their presentation. For this we are all guilty.

I am amazed this week, again, at the local newspaper reporters. They've done nothing, that I've seen, on our community and how to prevent this kind of thing happening her. I talked ot my sister who teaches here last night. She had a boy in the 5th grade last year who is worse this year. She is fearful of her life and those of everyone else,including him, because he is a walking time bomb. She worked really ahrd ot get him help last yr., it failed, this yr, it's been over a month since he ahs been identiied as needing counseling and intervention and still no appt to get started on that. Does the media go after and investigate this kind of "sweeping under the rug"? NO, because they, at least in this community, are in bed with the school administration and want to present a facade of wholesome, white-bread, two cars in every garage America.

When I called a lead reporter about abuses in our pentitentary, which denied inmates medical attention,esp. insulin for diabetics, do you think she followed up on it? She asked me to keep her informed, knowing that I am a freelance writer. I told her editor that if I was going to do all of the investigating and followup and writing and long distance phoning, it would be under my own by-line for national not to hand to a lazy incompetent who wouldn't know a story, or even a hint of one, from a hole in the ground.

With that in mind, I am meeting with a school board member on Monday to cover issues which concern me about violence and safety in school as well as the closing of 23 classrooms due to "reduced enrollment", but the added expenditure of an added 9th grade of 17 students at a back-to-basics school, to the tune of $60,000. NONE OF WHICH HAVE BEEN REPORTED, ALTHOUGH IT IS PUBLIC RECORD KNOWLEDGE!

AArrrggghhhhh! Sorry. Had to vent, I guess!

Thanks, Frank,

katlaughing