Exopolitics Alert: Reporter Sacked for Supporting Witness to Stephenville UFO Sighting
[Updated February 12, 2008 - Kona, Hawaii, Exopolitics Institute] News broke on February 9 concerning the sacking of a small town newspaper reporter who broke the Stephenville Texas UFO sightings case, and intimidation of a key witness who saw the UFO in daylight (click here for another article). The witness, Ricky Sorrells, was given threatening phone calls and visits by helicopters. The reporter, Angelia Joiner, publicized what was happening to the Sorrells in two stories on February 3 and 4 .
She claims that subsequent to her coverage of Sorrell's harassment: "A city councilman here talked to (Texas media) and said the whole thing was an embarrassment to the town (or something to that effect.)" Her employer subsequently notified her of official disapproval of her news coverage, and she was told to back off. She subsequently offered to resign. With regard to her forced resignation/sacking on Febuary 7, she is quoted as saying: "I gave two weeks notice but this morning they had confiscated my computer and I was told to pack up and get out. I'm devastated and still in shock."
As the initial stories exposing her sacking/forced resignation suggest, she lost her job as a result of her support for Sorrells. The newspaper made record sales during her coverage of the UFO reports. The idea that the Town Council was embarassed and wanted to put a stop to the news coverage appears to be a cover for the real reason. It may be that covert national security teams are in damage control and have moved into high gear to cover this story up, by approaching town officials to help. If true, 'national security' was undoubtedly given as a justification to the publisher for why Ms Joiner should be sacked. Ms Joiner, however, contests this view in a public email: "I do not believe they were contacted by some higher up telling them to stop the stories. If that were the case they would have told me." If higher authorities did intervene in Ms Joiner's case due to national security concerns, it is very possible that this would not have been relayed to her.
I also recommend reading a recent
story of Sorrell's harassment,
and an Earthfiles
report by Linda Howe on Stephenville and Sorrell's testimony.
A sample letter protesting the forced resignation/sacking of Angelia Joiner is also available online. The publisher of the Stephenville Empire-Tribune is Rochelle Stidham whose email is: rochelle.stidham@empiretribune.com , and the name of the Managing Editor is Sara Vanden Berge whose email: sara.vandenberge@empiretribune.com . The fax number for the Empire-Tribune is: 254-965-4269. If you choose to write a letter to the Empire Tribute protesting Ms Joiner's treatment, please maintain a respectful and courteous tone.
I request you circulate this Exopolitics Alert to friends and interested parties so this kind of treatment of reporters covering UFO issues is exposed.
Mahalo
Michael E. Salla, Ph.D.
President/Founder
Exopolitics Institute
Email: DrSalla@exopoliticsinstitute.org
Ph/Fax: 808 323 3400
http://www.exopoliticsinstitute.org
The Exopolitics Institute is a 501(c)(3) non-profit educational organization
based in Kona, Hawaii. Website: http://www.exopoliticsinstitute.org
