Circle Power makes an end-run around local media
I’m not sure how widely the mailer went out, but if you live in the Adams or Stanton Township area as I do, you likely got a copy of Circle Power’s “Quick Facts” about the Scotia Wind Project.
The ten-page booklet is finely produced, with full-color, glossy printing on every page and big, easy-to-read text and simple graphics. It looks very professional and communicates Circle Power’s points well.
However, those points are rather poorly sourced, and all of the information comes straight from the business that stands to profit most from public approval of this project.
If the area had even one newsroom that was well-staffed and widely read, they could dedicate a reporter to chasing down the sources on this to test the veracity of Circle Power’s claims and share those results with the public. The Guardians of the Keweenaw Ridge, the group that opposes wind development in the area, certainly disagrees on several points, but of course, they have their own set of biases.
Unfortunately, there are no news outlets in the area with more than two people actively reporting, and all of us are attempting to cover far too broad of an area for that low level of staffing.
The point here isn’t whether or not Circle Power’s mailer is full of truth or not. The problem is that without a local newsroom with adequate, trusted staff, it’s very difficult for us to know one way or the other. And unfortunately, this is not a one-off problem.
Local residents are vulnerable to any company that has deep enough pockets to send out mailings like this one, and the will to mislead them.
This is especially concerning at the beginning of an election year. In a “battleground state” such as Michigan, money from unknown sources from across the country (or possibly the world) is used to influence voters, and these unchecked mailers are one way they do it.
At Copper Beacon, we’re hoping to rebuild a local newsroom centered around the well-being of reporters and readers, rather than advertising and profits. One that has enough reporters to dedicate someone to testing the truthfulness of advertisements, mailers, and popular memes. A newsroom that can protect its readers from falsehoods and avoids repeating them.
In the meanwhile, take these “facts” with a grain of salt.
Originally posted comments:
Readers, I am secretary of the Guardians of the Keweenaw Ridge. I would like to state that the information in the Guardians press releases and shown on our web site are supported from government reports and peer reviewed scientific articles. We also use information printed from newspapers. So we don't make general comments without factual information to support our claims (unlike a local wind developer). We also use local businesses for our mailings, etc. (not an out of state business like Circle Power used for their mailer).
To clarify a little, when I said GOTKR has their own biases, I didn't mean to imply they were unfair. We all have biases based on our experiences and situation.
Thanks for your note, Jim. I appreciate your self-identification and support of local media.
I have been following this debacle for a couple of years now, even going so far as to meet with Chris Moore, for a presentation of the wind project. I am concerned that there hasn't been any kind of public forum for both sides to present their points. IF Circle Power feels the public will favor this project, if the 'facts' are known, why haven't they made their points in a presentation? It is clear that most people, who have made their voices known, in Adams Township, do not want a 'Wind Mine' as it was coined at the last township meeting. If wind mines were profitable, they wouldn't need government incentives. Circle Power plans to sell the wind mine as soon as it is complete, so they can make all the promises you want to hear. Guardians of the Keweenaw Ridge group is doing a fine job and I thank Jim Mihelcic for his sensible leadership. Are wind mines the answer to our high electric costs? I don't think so; we'll not see any savings from this mine in lowered electric bills. Yet we'll have to live with this mine for a long time, our housing values will go down if turbines are within hearing or sight, the wind mine will ask for lowered tax rates or rebates, the wind mine will destroy many bats that inhabit local mines, and birds in migration. There is a place for wind mines, but it's not here. Keep up the good fight Guardians.