Monahans News
Monahans, Texas
Thursday, June 10, 1998
Herd journalism hurts city
Now that the City Council of Monahans has voted unanimously to give meteorite Monahans '98-I back to the kids who found it, is possible that we can begin to repair the damage done to the community's image by the current scourge of the Western World. We call this scourge herd journalism.
Here is how it works. A reporter reports something and gets it almost right. An editor on the largest daily close to the scene of the action decides it would sound better if it were written another way and changes what the reporter on the scene has written. This altered version makes it into print and on to the Associated Press wires. Once it is on the AP, it is fact at least in perception. Absolutely no media outlet, with the possible exceptions of the New York Times, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the London Times or the
Monahans News ever would challenge the veracity of an AP report.
Two weeks ago, it was said from Hong Kong to London, from London to Moscow, from Moscow to Bangkok and from Bangkok to Dallas that the mean, stingy and rascally officials of Monahans had stolen a meteorite from seven little kids and were not going to give it back.
That was balderdash then. It is balderdash underlined now.
The City Council never said it was not going to return the meteorite to the kids.
And, in fact, after a few well chosen words from assorted city officials about the modern phenomenon of mass media and how it can be manipulated by amateurs, the Council voted unanimously to give the kids their space rock. It was.
E-mail flooded our offices attacking the city. We fielded telephone calls in French, Spanish, English, Vietnamese and two or three languages we didn't recognize all attacking the city for something it didn't do.
Council Member Curtis Howard said it best and forcefully.
Howard said City Council speaks for the City Council - no one else and the City Council is the elected representative of all of the citizens of Monahans - no one else. Council Member Jeppie Wilson said, "Amen."
So do we.
And we are glad the Meteorite 7 has their space rock back.
We also are glad the city retains Monahans 98-II for future display in an appropriate place to mark the Spring meteorites and heard journalists rained on Monahans.
We survived both.
Councilman speaks his mind
Verbatim remarks of Curtis Howard, Monahans City Council, on day council voted to return a meteorite to seven Monahans Children.
(Editor's Note: The following opinion is not necessarily representative of the opinion of the City of Monahans, any of its employees, nor is it necessarily representative of the opinions of any other member of the City Council of Monahans.)
I wish to direct the following remarks to one, Mr. Steve Arnold, International Meteorite Brokerage of Tulsa, Okla.
Mr. Arnold, I too wish to make reference to the "Personal Manifesto" which you posted via the Meteorite Central Chat room on May 26, 1998, titled "The Fight for Truth, Justice and the American Way."
The first quote that I would like to make reference to states: "The parents of these seven boys hired me to assist them with the selling of their meteorite. There is just one little problem. The City of Monahans will not return it to them. I have been in Monahans today fighting for 'truth,
justice and the American way.' "
There are two problems I personally have with this first statement.
One, this City Council NEVER said that we would NOT return it to them; and second, for you to state that you are fighting for truth while writing this manifesto is oxymoronic at best. It is loaded to the gills with conjecture and sensationalism.
The second quote from your free-wheeling post to the chat group states:
"If the rock is proven to have been found on city property, it looks like we will have to file a law suit (sic).
(Oh, and by the way, lawsuit is one word not two.)
"against the city and have a judge decide who the legal owners are. We were hoping that the city would have been willing to do the right thing and give the rock to the boys without a legal fight, but in the end, taking it to court may generate enough publicity to increase the collectibility
of the rock, and it will be worth it."
Again, sir, conjecture and sensationalism and may I inquire, sir, as to how taking this thing to court is in the best interest of these children? Going to court would result in a wide array of court and legal costs for these families that would substantially reduce any monetary benefit that they would derive from the commercial sale of the meteorite. I would offer in my own display of personal conjecture that YOU might benefit but I fail to see how these kids would. I humbly ask the question since I think I remember you saying something about having the kids' best interests at heart here.
Just pointing that out.
I understand that you might garner these misconceptions by having read a letter dated May 15, 1998, from our City Manager, David Mills, to Orlando Lyles, stating his
"interpretation" of the City Council's position concerning this matter. For future reference, Mr. Arnold, an interpretation is precisely that. It is neither factual nor is it final policy and seeing how you and I have never personally visited, although you have tried, it cannot be interpreted as a stipulation or policy in place from action actually taken by this City Council.
I also would like to make reference to the personal letter from you to me dated June 4, 1998, received at my residence via certified mail and signed for by my wife. There never has been, nor is there now, a gag order in place by Mr. Mills on this City Council. Mr. Mills cannot place a gag
order on the Council, by law. Speaking for myself, I have, on my own accord, merely chosen not to talk to you because I really didn't want too.
Also in the above referenced letter, you state: "Dr. Gibson is a respected scientist, who went on to conduct a more detailed study of the Monahans meteorite, and no personal criticism of his work is intended."
However, sir, in your manifesto on the web you state: "It seems a PERSON from NASA's Johnson Space Center come (came) to Monahans and told both the City Council and the Media
that the meteorite was very common, that it was not worth much financially and that the city owned it since it (supposedly) was found on city property. Well, this man was wrong on all three counts." Mr. Arnold, Dr. Everett Gibson is not simply a PERSON from NASA, he is a reputable and
respected NASA scientist.
You have continually made reference in your letter and your manifesto as to what this City Council thinks and what this City Council's position is. You, sir, have not even had the slightest idea as to what the City Council's position is or what it thinks. You have your wild ideas but you, in fact,
are grossly misinformed and have misrepresented us to the Media and your cronies on the internet in an attempt to create a feeding frenzy of public opinion in which to best serve YOUR interest. You have created an atmosphere that makes it very difficult for this Council to make a final
decision that will benefit all parties involved. If we decide to keep the meteorite based on the results of the survey, this town will be crucified. Yet, if we hand the
rock over to these seven young men, we will have bowed to the pressure of the Media and some used rock salesman from Tulsa, Okla. Shame on you, Mr. Arnold. In no way do I believe that you have the best interest of these young men at heart. Your actins over the last month are indicative of one individual who firmly believes in his own mind that he is SOMEBODY and is leading some great crusade.This City Council is a representative government body devised and in place under the laws and constitution of the State of Texas. We represent all of the citizens of Monahans and not just these seven young men and their parents. We have procedures that we must follow, sir;
procedures that you most likely wouldn't recognize or understand if they bit you on the nose. We must and will follow these procedures to the letter of the law and will, in the end, make a decision that WE, as a governing body, feel is in the best interest of this city and its inhabitants. Your personal feelings, your personal opinions or desires, are of no interest to me.
I was going to make a motion asking that the rock be returned to these young men. However, Mrs. Garcia beat me to it. If we pass this action, Mr. Arnold, YOU will be on the hot seat and all eyes will be on YOU. This City Council member for one, will be watching you, Mr. Arnold, watching
you to see if you are what you say you are, watching to see if these young men get $31,000 or more for their rock, minus your fee, of course, which leads me to an interesting question.
What is your fee, Mr. Arnold? I look forward to following your progress in this endeavor. Don't let these young men down.
