To often reporters on Latin America are reluctant to call things as they see them, even when they work for such a prestigious newspaper as the NY Times. Too often, however, we specialists fail to recognize reporting that cuts through the "official story" to get closer to the truth. Such is the case with a recent story by Elizabeth Malkin on land disputes in Honduras.
You won't be able to see the story if you don't have an account, or if you have exceeded the 20 stories per week you are allowed to see free. Here's the URL, though: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/16/world/americas/honduras-land-conflicts-highlight-polarization.html?ref=honduras.
You can also find it by going to the Times, clicking on "world", then going to "Honduras" page. You will find it on Sept. 16.
In this story, Malkin recognizes outright that what took place in Honduras in 1999 was a coup. She goes on to report on the killings of peasants involved in a land dispute. Unfortunately, a story like this appears once and tends to disappear without follow-up. That is why it is so important to cultivate alternative sources of news.
I hope you will read the story and think about the kind of "news" more often reported, or think about all the significant events that are not covered by the mainstream media. The Times is a great newspaper, but it's just not enough.
