Media dropped the ball on this one

[DeltAlum]

Originally Posted by PiKA2001

The Med school is across the street from the main campus. And for the "fear-centric" links I posted, well thats exactly my point. Where was channel 7 ACTION news or the Detroit Free Press??

So, once again, it's possible some local news agencies missed a story, but how does that make it a "cover up?"

[PM_Mama00]

Originally Posted by DeltAlum

So, once again, it's possible some local news agencies missed a story, but how does that make it a "cover up?"

It happens A LOT in this area, especially when it has something to do with universities. Take a look at the rape/murder that happened at Eastern Michigan. Why didn't the campus know this was going on? The news actually uncovered it and it was the first time for many of the students to hear it. Campus was trying to cover up. There have apparently also been rapes on my alma mater's campus, but they don't report them because they don't want to create a fear. I was pretty upset when I didn't hear about that one.

I also think this is an important topic that the news and other sources should have let out because of the area that we live in. There are terrorists everywhere but to know that you could be sitting next to one in your next class is scary. If this were my school, I'd be pissed if they didn't inform the students. We already knew that we were among possible terrorists in our classes. But in this area, especially Dearborn where my school is and it's 99% Middle Eastern (I made up that percentage, but it's probably close), these types of things should be let out, and I have a feeling that it was covered up. News resources would have been all over this.

[SydneyK]

Originally Posted by PM_Mama00

But in this area... it's 99% Middle Eastern (I made up that percentage, but it's probably close), these types of things should be let out, and I have a feeling that it was covered up. News resources would have been all over this.

I'm certainly not in the know when it comes to the media in your area, but perhaps it was not covered for fear of accusations of (unjustified) racial profiling, and not because it was a "cover up". Just because an area has a high percentage of Middle Easterners doesn't mean it therefore has a high percentage of terrorists.

[DeltAlum]

The way I read PIKA's first post, he was saying that the institution and the media were somehow covering this up.

There's a difference between the two.

I can understand a university trying to hush something up, but this is the kind of stuff that media jump all over.

I can't imagine Channel 7 (WXYZ-TV), any of the other stations or The Free Press knowing about this and not reporting it.

There's just no sense to that.

[PM_Mama00]

Originally Posted by SydneyK

I'm certainly not in the know when it comes to the media in your area, but perhaps it was not covered for fear of accusations of (unjustified) racial profiling, and not because it was a "cover up". Just because an area has a high percentage of Middle Easterners doesn't mean it therefore has a high percentage of terrorists.

Since 2001, they've busted plenty of sleeper cells or whatever they're called. There are known terrorists at UMD who are members of the Muslim Student Association. And they've found a lot of suspicious happenings that deal with money. That's not a profiling... it's true and fact and if I had the time to look up all the stories online I would.

Originally Posted by DeltAlum

The way I read PIKA's first post, he was saying that the institution and the media were somehow covering this up.

There's a difference between the two.

I can understand a university trying to hush something up, but this is the kind of stuff that media jump all over.

I can't imagine Channel 7 (WXYZ-TV), any of the other stations or The Free Press knowing about this and not reporting it.

There's just no sense to that.

They would definitely uncover the story if they knew about it. I'm just curious how they didn't find out about this because all of the Detroit media investigative teams are amazing.

[KSig RC]

Originally Posted by PM_Mama00

Since 2001, they've busted plenty of sleeper cells or whatever they're called. There are known terrorists at UMD who are members of the Muslim Student Association. And they've found a lot of suspicious happenings that deal with money. That's not a profiling... it's true and fact and if I had the time to look up all the stories online I would.

Cite?

[PiKA2001]

Originally Posted by PM_Mama00

It happens A LOT in this area, especially when it has something to do with universities. Take a look at the rape/murder that happened at Eastern Michigan. Why didn't the campus know this was going on? The news actually uncovered it and it was the first time for many of the students to hear it. Campus was trying to cover up. There have apparently also been rapes on my alma mater's campus, but they don't report them because they don't want to create a fear. I was pretty upset when I didn't hear about that one.
I feel like the Universities like to think that bad stuff can't happen there, kind of like DisneyWorld.I remember there were a few people mugged ON CAMPUS AT GUNPOINT a couple of years ago at Wayne by a group of transvestites (Seriously). Never covered, even though a two nights later the same group robbed a Dunkin Doughnuts, which got huge coverage.

Originally Posted by SydneyK

I'm certainly not in the know when it comes to the media in your area, but perhaps it was not covered for fear of accusations of (unjustified) racial profiling, and not because it was a "cover up". Just because an area has a high percentage of Middle Easterners doesn't mean it therefore has a high percentage of terrorists.

That's it. This incident took place right before Sep 11, The Mayor of Dearborn didn't want people rushing to conclusions about the intent of the guy being terrorist related.

Originally Posted by DeltAlum

I can understand a university trying to hush something up, but this is the kind of stuff that media jump all over.

I can't imagine Channel 7 (WXYZ-TV), any of the other stations or The Free Press knowing about this and not reporting it.

There's just no sense to that.

I know there's not, thats kind of why I posted this. Here was a student running around with an AK-47, all paramilitary, planning to do God knows what. I just don't think it's right for them to brush this one under the rug, thats all.

Originally Posted by KSig RC

Cite?

Yes, it would be nice to see what would come up. I only know of one al-qaida related cell, 8-12 people that were busted here in Detroit ( I think) in '02. Now for the shady dealings part, you may find more. Hezbollah is kind of a big deal in Detroit.

[SydneyK]

Originally Posted by PM_Mama00

Since 2001, they've busted plenty of sleeper cells or whatever they're called. There are known terrorists at UMD who are members of the Muslim Student Association. And they've found a lot of suspicious happenings that deal with money. That's not a profiling... it's true and fact and if I had the time to look up all the stories online I would.

I wasn't saying it necessarily WAS profiling; I was simply offering a reason as to why it might not have been covered. It sounds like I was wrong (although, as KSigRC said, a cite would be nice).

[DeltAlum]

Originally Posted by PM_Mama00

I'm just curious how they didn't find out about this because all of the Detroit media investigative teams are amazing.

It's a problem of size and resources.

I worked in Detroit TV for five years before moving out here.

The size of the metro area, the number of smaller cities and the number of people in the region make finding stories like this more luck than skill, unless some assignment editor happens to hear a police call on a scanner or lucks into the information on a phone call. Again, because of the number of agencies, it would be more than a full time job to be in touch once a day.