Inaccurate Media Coverage?

You’ve probably seen how the drug violence has been getting a lot of national and international media attention

And some of the coverage isn’t sitting well with some El Pasoans.

So, is our city getting a bad rap?

Some people, including our mayor say they’re tired of having to defend our city because some media outlets have failed to make it clear that the violence happening is in Mexico!

“I guess I’m a little on the frustrated side…It’s almost like they don’t believe that we’re the third safest city in the United States, ” El Paso Mayor John Cook says in the last few weeks, he’s been interviewed several times about the on-going violence across the border.

“I’ve had emails from people I went to highschool with in New York city wanting to know if I’m safe,” said Cook.

The Mayor says the national & international media is just now picking up a story that’s been going on for years and they’re focusing on the wrong side of the border…making his job a lot tougher.

“We’ve been very actively trying to get new businesses to locate to El Paso, to get existing businesses to invest and expand their operations here,” said Cook.

“As if Pancho Villa is going to be riding across the border waving guns and burning down columbus,” Sito Negron, editor of online’s newpapertree also thinks the visiting media doesn’t fully understand the story.

“We’re going to be left with very simplistic solutions. You know, we’re going to have people in middle America who are afraid, let’s put it bluntly…they’re afraid of Mexicans.”

And that… Negron says should concern everyone, “that kind of reporting does not lend itself to that kind of a solution, it makes it difficult for policy makers. ”

Mayor Cook says if anything the violence has mostly had a positive economic impact since Juarenses are moving here and spending more of their time in El Paso.

For a link to newspapertree and a couple of articles Negron has written on his thoughts about the media coverage just go to our website at kvia.com for a link.