Email: lemuel20013-AT-yahoo.com

Reporting from Washington, D.C.

"But it aint over till the fat lady
sings", says freelance journalist
Elijah Gatewood.

A few weeks ago, editorial panel at
the Balitmore Independment Media
sent Gatewood's planned internal
report on the IMC which he says "need
changes", to the trash compactor. In
the article, Gatewood has demanded
that editorial policy in IMC reporting
be amended. The issues are that
the IMC has acted more like corporate
media than it was established to be,
"an alternative to corporate media".
Coverage of demonstrations, rallies
and protests have pushed out more
worthy news reporting. Secondly,
stories that confront government,
civic and corporate officials
have been thrown in the gutter,
hiding from what the public needs
to know. Considering that it is a
non-profit organization that accepts
donations, Gatewood has went to
the people at Microsoft, and others
with ddep pockets, asking them not
to "temporarily donate" to the IMC
until this matter is resolved.
"The Independent Media Center",
Gatewood says, "is not just a private news
agency, it is one based within the
community, reporting the news that
will affect such inhabitants. Sad to
say, instead of solving problems, it
adds to them". An editor at the
Baltimore blasted Gatewood's
assessment, after deleting the report
from the newswire for personal attacks.
"People come here for news", the
unnamed source said, and advised
Gatewood to take up the issue within
the IMC, instead of "ranting" online.
The editor finally told Gatewood to
stop reporting in the third person.

The renegade journalist had this to
say: "Since this country is about
freedom of the press, I will continue
to report in the third person. And what
does that editor-in-jerk think news
is but an event, a serious crises
happening not only in the Independent
Media Center, but the world wide
community at large. He can call my
grievance all what he wants, but
what is not going to happen on my
shift and off of my shift is to
disrespect the community like some
ass wholes are doing in the IMC.
You are not going to get away with
it"!