By Sherry Robinson
All She Wrote

 Two words, “according to,” may be the most important words in any news story you read.

 Journalists are trained to seek out the best, most knowledgeable sources. As a business writer I had certain go-to people I could call who knew their stuff, had their fingers on good data, and could give me an accurate, understandable response. They had earned my trust because of their background, experience and personal honesty. I earned their trust by reporting accurately what they said.

 Accuracy is big. I remember a workshop for reporters in which the speaker practically shouted at us, “Get it right!” I still have her voice in my head. For decades I started interviews with, “Spell your name for me,” even if I was interviewing Jane Smith. Misspell your subject’s name and your credibility nosedives.

 Accuracy’s sister is objectivity. Reporters have to set aside their feelings and opinions and just report the news. I experienced this as almost a physical thing – stepping outside myself to ask questions, hear answers and try to understand all sides of a problem so I could report on it fairly. It’s not easy. You’ve probably seen reporting that wasn’t as objective as it should have been. But in my experience, reporters, with a few exceptions, tried hard to report fairly and accurately. In fact, objectivity is so ingrained in many journalists that it’s downright uncomfortable for them to write an opinion. It’s why I have trouble recruiting writers for this small opinion column service.

 Opinions. That’s what you’re reading right now. Opinion columns run in clearly marked newspaper opinion pages and are not mixed in with news. It sets us apart from other media and the internet.

 During the nation’s colonial days, small, crude newspapers informed citizens about the Tea Tax Act and the American Revolution as it was unfolding. Reporting and journalistic ethics evolved as they covered government, wars, economic downturns and politicians. Founding fathers recognized newspapers’ power to shine a light in dark places and protected them with the First Amendment. The Virginia Declaration of Rights called freedom of the press “one of the greatest bulwarks of liberty.”

That said, I’m not blind to the abuses and incompetence that drag down my industry, and now it’s also struggling to swim in the fast current of the internet.

Online you can a find a mind boggling amount of useful information as well as a mind numbing amount of misinformation (information with unintended errors) and disinformation (information intended to deceive). That fire hose of facts, entertainment, beliefs, complaints, speculation and lies should make us all information consumers. Very little of it is qualified by an “according to.” We don’t know where much of it comes from, and so we have to choose carefully what to believe.

 Years ago I participated in a conference whose organizers wanted to educate readers about the media. Many of the speakers were foreign journalists who complained their governments were deliberately sowing lies to confuse citizens and undermine the work of the media. An uninformed citizenry is an easily led citizenry. That couldn’t happen here, we thought.

And yet, long before this election, we’ve been swamped with disinformation originating internally and from Russia, China and Iran whose goal is to keep us fighting amongst ourselves and keep us in disarray. The response has been to meet the gusher of disinformation with facts, but it’s an unfair fight. Disinformation requires no work, just an outlet. Debunk one piece of disinformation, and 20 more spring up.

 In this election, one of the losers was conventional reporting. We can’t just blame attacks and slurs like “lamestream media” that undermined our credibility. The present wave of analysis includes disinformation, but it should also include journalism.

 I still believe Americans need facts and objective reporting. I salute the journalists still fighting the good fight. But we too must do some navel gazing and a lot more explaining.

Sherry Robinson is a longtime New Mexico reporter and editor. She has worked in Grants, Gallup, the Albuquerque Journal, New Mexico Business Weekly and Albuquerque Tribune. She is the author of four books. Her columns won first place in 2024 from New Mexico Press Women.

By Missi Currier, Jim Winchester, and Ben Shepperd

The Oil Conservation Commission will consider changes to PFAS rules in New Mexico related to oil and gas use. This rule-making request was made by WildEarth Guardians and New Energy Economy.

The New Mexico oil and gas trade associations and these environmental nonprofits (eNGOs) agree – PFAS should not be utilized in oil and gas production. However, we differ on the fear-mongering tactics that utilize half-truths and purposely ignore the best available science and PFAS facts. A common tactic used by eNGOs is playing on peoples’ fears in the pursuit of a much more sinister agenda – to shut down one of the most valuable industries in our beloved state.

PFAS are everywhere and are safely used in your everyday life. PFAS are a diverse class of thousands of fluorinated substances that have been used extensively in industrial, commercial, and consumer applications, including electronics, gaskets and seals, friction reducers, outdoor gear and clothing, and non-stick coatings for household products.

PFAS are not intentionally used in fracking in New Mexico. Some PFAS are ubiquitous in the environment and come from sources such as municipal water, surface water, and private well water. So, while your municipal water may have PFAS, so might the water used in fracking – and because of that, opponents of oil and natural gas claim fracking uses PFAS. This is a half-truth that conveniently leaves out the scientific research on PFAS in water sources.

Opponents of the industry are implementing additional scare tactics. For example, they are claiming oil and gas operators are not required to disclose their proprietary chemicals and they are actually trying to hide PFAS in their operations. These are false claims.

The NM Hydraulic Fracturing Disclosure mandates all oil and gas operators report the composition of the hydraulic fracturing fluid used during hydraulic fracturing operations. FracFocus records everything from the trade name to the supplier to the purpose of the ingredient and maximum concentration. Proprietary ingredients are recorded in the national database in a way that does not waive recognized trade secret protections. Translation – the industry is already required by law to report their chemical usage and ensure that PFAS are not intentionally utilized while protecting proprietary information and trade secrets that keep American companies competitive.

Industry opponents continue to use fear-mongering and your tax dollars to engage in an unnecessary and costly state rule-making process to address an issue that is simply not an issue.

As leaders in the energy sector, we are committed to ensuring NM remains a safe and healthy place for all residents. We will continue working with regulators and researchers to ensure the safest and cleanest operations based on the full, factual picture from the best available science. Most importantly, we are committed to working with facts, not fear.

Missi Currier is president of the New Mexico Oil and Gas Association; Jim Winchester is president of the Independent Petroleum Association of New Mexico; Ben Shepperd is president of the Permian Basin Petroleum Association.

By: Javier Sanchez
 

When my buddies and I would go backpacking, they’d put me in charge of conversation-some deep philosophical thought.  One guy was in charge of GORP (good ‘ol raisins and peanuts), while another guy making sure we had enough potable water.  Backpacking for hours at a time gives you clarity and it frees your mind, but after several hours of silent trekking you want a little deep conversation to break the monotony.  So after a long morning of hearing the deep thud of our boots hit the moistened earth and glancing at the rays of sunlight through the leaves, we became one.  Our rhythm was paced and through some unknown force, we collectively joined in mind and spirit.  It was time.

There was a great battleship, I explained.  It had seen many wars and in its lifetime was led by many brave captains.  The countless men who steered her into battle had come and gone, but the memory of her steadfastness, cunning and speed remained.  So renowned was her reputation that every sailor around the world wished only to one day be a member of her crew. One day, after countless voyages, she was honorably decommissioned and permanently docked.  As the years went by, her wooden planks were replaced and tossed into the sea as each new piece of wood was set in place.

Unbeknownst to anyone, there was a former captain of this vessel just downwind from the retired ship who secretly took in every single piece of the jettisoned flotsam.  Little by little, the former captain built the previous ship in its entirety.  Before long, there lay two identical ships side by side, which begs the question:  where does the soul of the once great seafaring vessel lie? 

If you took all of the great ideals, victories, land, social justices and injustices, the people, its sacrifices, its hates and its loves, all of the elements that comprise this great country -the United States- and built an entirely new country, somewhere down the line, what would come of our soul?  Would we be just a shadow of our former self?

By the time you read this article, Election Day will have come and gone, and we may not know who the President of the United States is.

Even when we learn who won the election there will remain from this rancorous election many among us will wonder, given all the warnings and criticisms, if the country is going to Hell in a hand basket? Do we have soul?

 I can assure you America still has a soul.

We cannot discard the shards of our past in an attempt to recreate ourselves.  But we can fortify the basic infrastructure of our backbone.  We can strengthen our spine and take a fresh coat of paint to the parts of ourselves that have seen better days.  No matter how great or how putrid our past, the experiences over the last almost 250 years have defined who we are as Americans.  We must learn from the mistakes and chart a new course with determination, self-destiny and courage. 

Regardless who won, they will face a tough job. Our ideals, our convictions, our history, our values will be tested. Our will to be the leader of the free world will be challenged. The job may be so difficult they might regret winning the presidency. The challenges to our soul will be great.

North Korea last week tested an ICBM (intercontinental ballistic missile), a launch believed to be its longest and highest ever- a feat unachievable without Russian help and technology.  Is that why North Korea just sent 3,000-8,000 troops to help Russia fight the war in Ukraine? Perhaps.

Israel continues to fight for its existence.  Iran is single-handedly funding Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Palestine and other nations to fight Israel.  The Jewish state is literally fighting seven wars along its borders. A missile pileup lies minutes away in Iran.  All sides seem to be testing U.S ambivalence for an all-out war in the Middle East.

Last month, nearly 30 nations met at a conference in Russia.  Known as BRICS+, the nations of Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa and others such as Egypt, Iran and Saudi Arabia are conspiring to upend the US’s dominance economically and militarily.  Their goal:  usurp the US dollar and remove it as the dominant world currency, potentially devastating our economy.  These countries represent nearly 46% of the world population and 26% of the world’s GDP. 

In the midst of these threats our country and our politicians are blabbering about nonsense and acting directionless.

We are arguing over who called who garbage and which presidential candidate received more endorsements from Hollywood actors (as if they know how to run a country) and who really worked the fry station at McDonald’s? This all appears rather insignificant when compared to real world issues.  Our American soul is surely being tested. 

Which brings us back to hiking.  When you’re in lock step with your buddies, breathing the same air, creating the same cadence and rhythm, walking toward the same goal, you start to think more deeply and profoundly about what matters most.  If our soul does exist, where does it find itself most at home?  Is it in the memory of a long-lost plank, or is it in the hope and pride of the actions that bring about change? Is it in our resilience and our fortitude? Does it matter what battles we fought valiantly? Or is what matters most that we carry the torch of liberty to shine light on ourselves, our brethren and our world.  Take one step forward.  Breathe.  Exalt.

Javier Sanchez is the former Mayor of Espanola, an independent businessman, and El Rito Media investor and columnist.