Tags: print
Jan. 6, 2005
UPDATE: The Washington Post bases ICC headline on virtually unknown environmental group
The Washington Post published a news article on Wednesday, Jan. 5 headlined "Environmentalist Group Backs Md. Connector," which focused on the African American Environmentalist Association (AAEA), a group that supports the construction of the Intercounty Connector (ICC), a project opposed by nearly all other environmental organizations.
The Washington Post acknowledged that the AAEA's opinions are not in the majority in a correction posted on Saturday, Jan. 8, which read: "The headline on a Jan. 5 Metro article, 'Environmental Group Backs Md. Connector,' did not reflect that opponents of the proposed intercountry connector were equally vocal at a public hearing. Most environmental groups oppose the connector."
While most groups are against Bush's environmental initiatives, the AAEA supports his decisions and proposals. One section of the AAEA web site reads, "President Bush won. He should be allowed to implement his environmental proposals. If they do not work, then we can try alternatives. If they do work, we should support and applaud his accomplishments." The page is devoted to summarizing Bush's policies and describes him as an "Innovative Environmentalist." This page also emphasizes the economic impact of environmental regulations and endorses "allow[ing] aggressive capitalism" to drive environmental considerations. "Traditional environmental groups do not acknowledge this [economic] reality because they do not have the awesome daily responsibility of providing energy products and services," the AAEA alleges.
The same page then denounces other "extremist" environmental groups as being "condescending" to blacks. "The environmental movement is segregated, arrogant and secretly proud of their elitism," says the AAEA, going on to state that there are no black leaders in the environmental movement.
The web site also claims that black-on-black murder is the most significant environmental issue that America faces.
The AAEA is nearly unknown among other environmental groups. "I had never heard of [AAEA founder and President Norris McDonald] until he stood up at the meeting," said Sierra Club MD Chapter Chair Betsy Johnson. "Every single other elected official and environmentalist was against the ICC. It's an environmental disaster," she said.
According to Johnson, the decision of The Washington Post to feature the group is an extension of the newspaper's support for the ICC. "Why does 'The Post' feature him in a main headline? It's because The Post wants the ICC to be built. They're editorializing their news stories," Johnson claimed. The Washington Post has publicly endorsed the ICC on several occasions.
According to the article, McDonald spoke in support of the ICC at a public hearing Tuesday night. "Nobody can convince me that a little highway, smaller than the Baltimore-Washington Parkway, is a big threat and a grand polluter," said McDonald in a phone interview on Jan. 6. The ICC is expected to cost over $2 billion, so few regard the highway as "little."
When questioned about his group's structure, membership and organization, McDonald referred Silver Chips Online to the AAEA web site, which contains no specific information regarding how many people belong to the organization nor any information about environmental initiatives. Another page of the web site labeled "Scarface" contains many violent images from the Al Pacino film of the same name, denounces "black-on-black murder" as Schadenfreude (a German word meaning to gain pleasure from someone else's suffering) and contains an image of a green, spinning skull and crossbones.
According to its web site, the AAEA is "a national, non-profit environmental organization dedicated to protecting the environment, enhancing human, animal and plant ecologies, promoting the efficient use of natural resources and increasing African American participation in the environmental movement."
The Washington Post acknowledged that the AAEA's opinions are not in the majority in a correction posted on Saturday, Jan. 8, which read: "The headline on a Jan. 5 Metro article, 'Environmental Group Backs Md. Connector,' did not reflect that opponents of the proposed intercountry connector were equally vocal at a public hearing. Most environmental groups oppose the connector."
While most groups are against Bush's environmental initiatives, the AAEA supports his decisions and proposals. One section of the AAEA web site reads, "President Bush won. He should be allowed to implement his environmental proposals. If they do not work, then we can try alternatives. If they do work, we should support and applaud his accomplishments." The page is devoted to summarizing Bush's policies and describes him as an "Innovative Environmentalist." This page also emphasizes the economic impact of environmental regulations and endorses "allow[ing] aggressive capitalism" to drive environmental considerations. "Traditional environmental groups do not acknowledge this [economic] reality because they do not have the awesome daily responsibility of providing energy products and services," the AAEA alleges.
The same page then denounces other "extremist" environmental groups as being "condescending" to blacks. "The environmental movement is segregated, arrogant and secretly proud of their elitism," says the AAEA, going on to state that there are no black leaders in the environmental movement.
The web site also claims that black-on-black murder is the most significant environmental issue that America faces.
The AAEA is nearly unknown among other environmental groups. "I had never heard of [AAEA founder and President Norris McDonald] until he stood up at the meeting," said Sierra Club MD Chapter Chair Betsy Johnson. "Every single other elected official and environmentalist was against the ICC. It's an environmental disaster," she said.
According to Johnson, the decision of The Washington Post to feature the group is an extension of the newspaper's support for the ICC. "Why does 'The Post' feature him in a main headline? It's because The Post wants the ICC to be built. They're editorializing their news stories," Johnson claimed. The Washington Post has publicly endorsed the ICC on several occasions.
According to the article, McDonald spoke in support of the ICC at a public hearing Tuesday night. "Nobody can convince me that a little highway, smaller than the Baltimore-Washington Parkway, is a big threat and a grand polluter," said McDonald in a phone interview on Jan. 6. The ICC is expected to cost over $2 billion, so few regard the highway as "little."
When questioned about his group's structure, membership and organization, McDonald referred Silver Chips Online to the AAEA web site, which contains no specific information regarding how many people belong to the organization nor any information about environmental initiatives. Another page of the web site labeled "Scarface" contains many violent images from the Al Pacino film of the same name, denounces "black-on-black murder" as Schadenfreude (a German word meaning to gain pleasure from someone else's suffering) and contains an image of a green, spinning skull and crossbones.
According to its web site, the AAEA is "a national, non-profit environmental organization dedicated to protecting the environment, enhancing human, animal and plant ecologies, promoting the efficient use of natural resources and increasing African American participation in the environmental movement."
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On the page, the AAEA states, "Instead of buying 20 cars and millions of dollars of bling bling, maybe millionaire rappers should consider investing in oil, coal, electric lines and gas."
Eccentric ideas aside, the organization mentions hip-hop artists as pioneers in the environmental industry, thus furthering the stereotypical association of hip-hop with the African-American community.
Also, take note of the background on that page. The background, titled "Gotham Garden," is from www.digitalblasphemy.com. What professional page would rip-off a background from a 3D graphics site?
1)"Another page of the website, labeled "Scarface," contains many violent images from the Al Pacino film of the same name, denounces "black on black murder" as Schadenfreude (a German word meaning to gain pleasure from someone else's suffering) and contains an image of a green, spinning skull and crossbones."
HAHAHAHAHAHAHHA!
What in heck does Scarface and Schadenfreude have anything to do with anything? And how is black on black murder related to either Schadenfreude or Scarface? Geez, what a moronic dude. And a moronic Post for publishing such a moronic article. Kudos Mahtizzle and Seema, for your excellent reporting.
Liberals complaining about biased news stories in the Post!!!
Thought I'd never see the day!
Newspapers have bias, and anyone who says they don't, even in the news section is lying. There is no code saying that the Washington Post is not allowed to support the ICC.
News shoudn't be assumed to always be correct because it often isn't. Most news has liberal(The Post) or conservative(FOX) bias, and these biases aren't limited to editorials, they taint the entire story.
I still don't see how anybody could support the ICC, if they actually did research on it, unless they profit financially from it(maybe the post got payed off, or maybe they are just stupid)
It's "Fair and balanced."
so few what the highway as little?
Firstly, the AAEA's positions are essentially counter to those of the rest of environmental community.
Secondly, the organization appears to have no initiatives, funding, membership credentials or reputation within the field -- in other words, the very things that define an organization.
can someone explain in more details because im too lazy to do some research
The Intercounty Connector (ICC) is proposed to link I-270 and I-95 to relieve traffic congestion, increase transportation safety and, according to the ICC website, "help restore the natural, human and cultural environment."
Ironic, no?
For more information, visit the ICC website at http://iccstudy.org/
(i miss italics... *sad* )
They think that all Bush's plans are good. I support Bush for the most part(gasp) but even I know that Bush's environmentalist plans are not something going to help the environment.
http://www.aaenvironment.com/Scarface.htm
http://www.aaenvironment.com/hiphop.htm
http://www.aaenvironment.com/PresidentBush.htm
http://www.aaenvironment.com/GlobalWarming1.htm
http://groups.msn.com/AAEA/presidentscorner.msnw (look at the pictures)
The website was created in August of 2003.
We understand your concern, but we are not trying to mock the Washington Post or question its credibility with quotes. Last week, Silver Chips and Silver Chips Online had major changes in their manifestos, which include referencing all newspapers, albums, movies and bands in quotes instead of italics.
Thanks for reading Silver Chips Online.
The closest your article comes to defending the post:
"Steven Ginsberg, the author of the article, has not returned a phone call requesting an interview."
This doesn't cut it for balance.
This paragraph directly follows the McDonald quote:
"Others said such views were nonsense, given the effect of the construction on wetlands and the likelihood that residential development would follow the road."
The story isn't close to slanted. Next time try picking a bone with someone smaller, The Black and White maybe.
SCO is using a label ("virtually unknown") to discredit the ideas of a group, rather than try to refute those ideas with facts. To me, this is an indication that those ideas are likely correct.
Clearly, SCO expects "environmentalists" to think like they do, simply because most people calling themselves "environmentalists" do. This is a perfect example of STEREOTYPING!
Finally, whatever happened to tolerance for different ideas?
you're not an environmental group if you support the ICC. yes, i'm generalizing. but i'm also telling the truth. no room for "different ideas," as you put it, here.
all hail the inner purple line.
There are other reports on the page, and scrolling through them, I found a lot of poorly written and irrelevant information, with unrealistic and unattainable conclusions.
P.S. Running around screaming "stereotyping" really doesn't do anything.
I have to say that Silver Chips debasing "The Post" about editorializing in a news article is rich. If you want to see some biased reporting look no further than SCO.
Silver Chips makes Fox seem "fair and balanced."
I'm sure you know that the Metrorail system was designed like bicycle spokes - everyone needs to get into and out of DC easily. Something that models the Beltway would save me (and many others) a considerable amount of time.
http://groups.msn.com/AAEA/partnerships.msnw
http://groups.msn.com/AAEA/announcements.msnw
And no. We are not funded to support the ICC. However, I was President of the PG County ACLU for two years and the ACLU believes that money is speech. Our opponents either say we are nothing because we are a small home-baed volunteer organization, or they say we are bought by the big bad Republicans. Well you cannot have it both ways. Either we are the one or the other. Frankly, we make multimillionaire Ralph Nader look like Donald Trump.
Silver Chips Online is the high school online newspaper at Montgomery Blair HS in Silver Spring, MD. Please view our "About Us" page for more details.
I applaude the excellent reporting, yet if we are writing a story criticizing the post for editorializing, and then we have a statement like this, isn't it kind of hypocritical? Technically, shouldn't we just let the facts stand from themselves?
http://www.aaenvironment.com/DDT.htm
from looking at their site, they're more like an ANTI-environment group. But i think that we're too used to the word "environmental" referring to something pro-nature....it works both ways.
So, the Post printed an article on the bottom fold of the Metro section saying "Environmental Group Backs Md. Connector." They based the headline and most of the article on this one guy from this tiny organization. That is irresponsible journalism and decision-making at the Post, because of the overwhelming number of groups who oppose the ICC who are ignored on a daily basis.
Yes, this story was done too quickly to try to "scoop" the Post. Yes, it is nitpicky and to many it may seem unfair. But I don't think it's unfair to criticize a major newspaper for giving more coverage to an organization with only one member than to the dozens of groups in the area who are against the ICC. It's selective coverage that is unfair to the true environmental groups.
I think that we should treat this story as what it is: Silver Chips noticing a small story in the Post that represents a bogus group. Yes, the AAEA story in the Post was small, and somewhat buried. But that's still more coverage than the anti-ICC stories are getting, so Chips had a right to print this story.
In the old days we would just be STRANGE FRUIT. Hung by the narrow minded views of elistists. Now their sheets are green.
Keep looking for a way to discredit us. We are more than one. I am the voice because I have the most experience and knowledge. But keep on looking. I am sure you will find a way to silence me. This will be great because there are so many African Americans addressing environmental issues. I have not heard any comments about the mainstream environmental movement's racism:
http://groups.msn.com/AAEA/announcements.msnw
WHY DON'T YOU COMMENT ON THAT?
“I do not mean to question the AAEA's legitimacy. McDonald is certainly entitled to his opinions and should be commended for his public activism. His personal drive and dedication to his beliefs should be commended, and citizens with his passionate activism help to strengthen our democracy. Instead, this Silver Chips Online article is meant to draw attention to the inappropriate citation of McDonald by The Washington Post.”
I was also confused about what you called “mainstream environmental movement's racism.” I was hoping you could clarify what the racism to which you are referring.
The link that was in my statement:
http://groups.msn.com/AAEA/announcements.msnw
http://groups.msn.com/AAEA/join