Daily News cover: "He said-she said" 55 times over; N.Y. Times says a white Tamir Rice would be alive today; . . . media want cameras for officer's murder trial; Demographer: Changing U.S. demands attention to diversity; in Twin Cities, it's back to the future on media distrust; no full-time black political cartoonists at major dailies; animated "Bordertown" series debuts on Sunday; Giago signs agreement to buy historic Wounded Knee; Afghan journalist is now the voice of ISIS (12/30/15)Returning Jan. 4, barring breaking news
Daily News Cover: "He Said-She Said" 55 Times Over
Giago Signs Agreement to Buy Historic Wounded Knee
"Tim Giago, Lakota, renowned journalist, publisher and founder of publications such as the Lakota Times, Native Sun News and Indian Country Today, has told ICTMN he has signed an agreement to purchase the historic site of Wounded Knee from James Czywczynski for $3.9 million,"Vincent Schilling reported Tuesday for the Indian Country Today Media Network.
"Giago told ICTMN, 'I signed an agreement to be the sole purchaser of Wounded Knee. The reason is that it has been sitting there idle and doing nothing for over 40 years.'
"Giago, who says he grew up and lived at Wounded Knee, where his father worked at the Trading Post and played with JoAnn Gildersleeve, the daughter of Clive and Agnes (the owners of the Wounded Knee Trading Post), is making the purchase for the benefit of the nine Sioux tribal nations.
"'I am 81 years old and I am at that age where I am not looking for any personal gain. I figure the best place for Wounded Knee to be is not just owned by the Oglala, It should be owned by all of the nine tribes of the great Sioux nation.
"'I am going to raise the money, buy it from Czywczynski and then put the land and trust for the tribes of the great Sioux nation,' says Giago. . . ."
The massacre of Wounded Knee took place took place Dec. 29, 1890 — 125 years ago Tuesday, and "saw federal soldiers descend on the Native American settlement near South Dakota's Wounded Knee Creek and slaughter roughly 300 Lakota men, women and children,"Jon Levine explained Tuesday for mic.com.
"Twenty-five U.S. soldiers lost their lives, and 20 others were awarded the Medal of Honor. It was the last major engagement between the United States and Native American tribes. . . ."
Afghan Journalist Now the Voice of ISIS
"The voice of a journalist who until recently used to work at radio stations in Afghanistan's eastern Nangarhar province can now be heard in the provincial capital, Jalalabad, and neighboring districts as the voice of Islamic State's new 'caliphate radio,'” Noor Zahid reported Dec. 22 for the Voice of America.
"Former colleagues are quick to recognize the voice of Sultan Aziz Ezam, who worked for three local radio stations over the course of a decade, covering primarily land issues.
"Now, that voice is issuing death threats.
"Local newsmen hear their former colleague — or some imitator — accusing them of 'working for foreigners' and saying they are on the IS death watch list for their reporting practices.
"'I know the addresses of houses of all those journalists who are working with different media organizations in Jalalabad, and will find them and will kill them,' he declares.
"VOA could not independently confirm the identity of the IS radio anchor. But local Afghan journalists say they are alarmed by the threats and are taking them seriously, because they recognize the voice.
"'All journalists in Jalalabad are aware of the threats and are very scared,' one local journalist told VOA. . . ."
- Jasper Jackson, the Guardian: Islamic militants responsible for two-fifths of journalist killings in 2015
- Alissa J. Rubin, New York Times: Flawed Justice After a Mob Killed an Afghan Woman