 |
| The mic flag from my last TV job dwm photo |
It was 1993 in Janesville, Wisconsin. Hate came to town when an individual filed for a permit to assemble in front of the county courthouse to hold a rally of the klan.
As a reporter, my job was to report the story. It included asking for an interview with the local leader.
His house was on a dead-end street near the automotive assembly plant.
As the bureau reporter, I was a "one-man band." It meant I operated the camera; asked the questions; and carried the gear. After pulling the equipment out of the news car I made my way up the sidewalk. Did I mention it was late? I'm not sure what time it was, but it was dark.
A tattered confederate flag hung on a pole near the front door.
I remember how I felt. The air was full of anger, hate, and evil. It was scary.
I asked my questions and left.
The day of the rally was bizarre. A group of klan supporters listened to speakers and chanted ugly slogans. Anarchists marched in protest, covered by cloth masks, as frightening as the klansfolk.
At the bottom of the hill, others marched while singing hymns.
Why cover such a thing? Well, exposing things to the light of day means it can't be ignored. Ugly truths are reality. Wishing them gone doesn't work. It is not fun and doesn't receive many accolades.
Investigative journalism and hard reporting is vital for our society; vital for democracy. In other parts of the world, journalists are killed when reporting stories powerful people don't like.
It is easy to criticize, mock, and lampoon reports we don't like. Thankfully the First Amendment protects journalism and free speech. We don't need to protect speech everyone agrees with - the strength of our democracy is protecting the unpopular opinion.
While this is my least favorite memory of ten years as a reporter; it was one of the more important stories I covered . This was no brush with fame, more accurately it was a brsuh with the infamous.
Comments
Post a Comment