One of the reasons I started blogging nearly 4 years ago was due to my frustration with what topics the mainstream media covered. Too many important issues were ignored or given poor coverage.

Apparently there is still a need for non-professional bloggers as was proven yesterday. All major local news outlets were sent press releases and invitations to talk with presidential candidate, Cynthia McKinney who was in town to file to be on the ballot in Utah. Most failed to show, most noticeably our local papers. Our local media is more interested in covering locals who win big on game shows or American Idol it seems. Although in fairness, there's probably a large number of Utahns who believe that kind of thing IS big news and the newspapers are likely trying to cash in on what appeals to the lowest common denominator . . .

McKinney is a very newsworthy subject. She is the Green Party candidate for president, and she and her running mate Rosa Clemente make the first all woman, all color team to run for the White House in history. She was a 6 term Representative in Congress for Georgia and the subject of the film, American Blackout. She has been known to speak to power on many issues – one YouTube video I saw showed her grilling Donald Rumsfeld most effectively. When other Democrats in congress were rolling over and letting Bush have his way, McKinney was standing firm.

Cynthia McKinney Files to be on the Utah Ballot - September 3, 2008 (photo by Deanna Taylor)	Cynthia McKinney talks to Utah media September 3, 2008 (photo by Deanna Taylor)

The best coverage of McKinney's visit goes to KCPW. Their story here.
Deanna Taylor of Dee's 'Dotes writes about Kinney's visit here.

Deanna writes in a later post about the Utah media:

Yesterday Cynthia McKinney filed for President of the United States in Utah. (See my post below.) Tons of press releases were distributed to all Utah Media, along with follow up reminders. Invitations were sent out to select media outlets to interview her Tuesday night.

Not only were there no responses to the chance to interview this amazing woman, only two camera technicians - Fox 13 and Channel 2 KUTV - and one reporter from KCPW showed up to cover this historic event. Not one newspaper appeared to cover this.

We were told by the camera technicians (they couldn't even send reporters!) that the coverage would be aired and Fox13 said it would be on their website as well. I heard that there was a clip on channel 2 during the day, but I have not seen any video at all on the internet.

How very sad for Utahns to be deprived of this news.

Meanwhile, the big headline news on the front page of Utah newspapers this week was - no, not Hurrican Gustav or the RNC (although they had their places on the front page), or the plight of our health care or education systems in the U.S., or the travesty of strip mining our mountains in the west - it was (drum roll please).....

Jessica Robinson from Sandy, Utah winning one million dollars on "Deal or No Deal".

Now THAT'S news worthy of a flashy front page spread!

I hope that our blogging community will help spread the word about Cynthia McKinney running for President. I will be posting as much as I can, including showings of her award winning film (in Sundance) "American Blackout".