Protests, military both merit coverage they receive

• Published May 31, 2006 Modified October 19, 2006

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05/31/2006 – On the homepage for The Olympian, there is section on the military protests at the Port. It has video, pictures and the articles that were written and it has been up for some time. Why is there so much on the protest and nothing to speak of on the soldiers? Many of them have families that live here, work here and go to our schools. But the focus is mostly on the students protesting, many that have come from out of town and do not pay taxes here. When you talking to the average person, they support the troops. This country is equally split and I'm sure even the soldiers would like to be home. This is demoralizing and an embarrassment when all the newspaper can focus on is the protesters. Why do you do it? It would be a pleasant surprise to see the average person asked how they feel rather than always reporting what the protesters feel. There are two sides to every story. -- Jim Dany, Olympia

Executive Editor Vickie Kilgore: The Olympian has covered numerous deployment and welcome home ceremonies as well as other events at Fort Lewis and McChord Air Force Base, as well as issues related to the military. We recently sent a reporter on assignment to the Mideast, accompanying a supply mission from McChord. It was a significant financial commitment for the newsroom to make and a courageous assignment for the reporter to take on. This week we plan significant coverage on the deployment of a Stryker brigade to Iraq. We know there are many military families in our area and we try to be sensitive to their needs. Because the Army is using the Port of Olympia more frequently to ship weapons and equipment to Iraq, it has become a focal point for protesters. We have frequently covered the 'support our troops group' on the I-5 overpass. In our judgment, the protests deserve coverage, too.

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