OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – The Flatwater Free Press and the Asian American Journalists Association are standing by an investigative reporter after Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen called her “a Communist” when dismissing her in-depth report critical of his farming operation.
The response comes after comments the governor made regarding his family hog farming business. It’s not unusual for the target of a story to lash out at the journalist rather than take issue with the content.
Last month, Pillen took aim at Yanqi Xu, a reporter from the Flatwater Free Press, after her investigative story raised questions about the environmental impact his hog farms had on drinking water.
The Flatwater Free Press is an independent nonprofit news organization focusing on Nebraska stories.
“I really wanted to do journalism in a way that transcended a lot of the common talking points,” Xu told 6 News.
Xu has worked on various investigations in Omaha for two years. In that time, her work on examining high nitrate levels and the potential link to childhood cancer has won a national award. When she zeroed in on Pillen Family Farms — the governor’s company — she found the data for 16 of his hog farms showed high nitrate levels.
According to the reporter, the governor directed questions to the Pillen Family Farms CEO — his daughter, Sarah — who said they’ve always had a commitment to being “positive… stewards of the land.”
But days after the story ran, KFAB asked the governor to comment on Xu’s reporting. Here’s what he said on the radio airwaves:
“No. 1: I didn’t read it — and I won’t. No. 2: All you got to do is look at the author. The author is from Communist China. What more do you need to know?”
“I found it disheartening that it was the only thing he said,” Xu told 6 News on…
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