
Using the Media to Control Public Opinion:
Abuse of Power of the Press
Mille Lacs News staff writer
They say that there are two sides to every
story. But with Kevin Anderson, editor of the Mille Lacs Messenger,
it seems
that only one side gets told; at least in the case of newspaper coverage
about the battle between Bradbury
Township and the City of Onamia over the building site of the proposed new
Nexus juvenile sex offender facility. Such coverage has
been so obviously slanted, in fact, that it prompted the creation of the Mille Lacs
News to counteract the propaganda. We are telling the other side
of the story, the side unheard.
The Mille Lacs Messenger has censored us,
misquoted us, and supported lies, at least by omission. It has continued to mislead the
public in a bold effort to control public opinion against the Bradbury
residents who oppose the building on the Grosslein/Bye 38 acres.
The Mille Lacs Messenger has printed
known lies.
For example, it has reported several times that Nexus is property tax
exempt. This is not true. The Messenger will not retract or correct this
misinformation because it says that it was correctly quoting someone else
who was giving the misinformation (i.e. the mayor, Bill Hill, etc.)
Another example is the questionable
reporting of the number of persons employed by Mille Lacs Academy and where
these employees reside. There has been a lot of confusion about the jobs
issue. The fact is, very few employees actually live in Onamia. Exact
numbers have been misreported.
Quotations have also been taken out of
context, or selectively edited. For example, when one citizen cited at a
Onamia City Council meeting that since Nexus CEO James D'Angelo stated that
the Mille Lacs Academy would leave the county should property tax exempt
status be denied, and what would then happen to the property, the Messenger
The Mille Lacs Messenger has reported that
those who oppose Nexus are fearful and ignorant. This is also not true. If
it were, you would not be reading this. The Mille Lacs Messenger has not
been a helpful source of the truth. They have in essence, tried to make us
look bad, while protecting Mayor Milton.
To be fair (and we try hard to be), the
Mille Lacs Messenger often just reports bad information. There's a ton of it
being dished out by the Onamia Mayor, the city council members, as well as those
connected with Nexus. But the Messenger seems to accept what they say at
face value, never probing into the validity of what, say for example, Larry
Milton is telling them. On the other hand, the Messenger seems quite
opinionated about the Bradbury residents opposing the Nexus project. The
problem is, unless one is aware of the truth, it is difficult to tell what
is bogus in the Messenger. It might be better if everyone reading the
Messenger assumes the worst - that you can't believe a word they print.
We invite
you to read for yourself what the folks over at the Messenger are saying
about us. Remember - don't believe everything you read in the newspaper.