WATCH THE STUNNING CNN-AP VIDEO WHICH HAS HAD 300,000+ HITS AND YOU
DECIDE!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v
http://www.americanchronicle
http://www.americanchronicle .com/articles/51832
Monday, February 11, 2008
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Local reporter on Texas UFO case leaves newspaper; integrity of local, national news media explored
Hammons was born and raised in the Cincinnati, Ohio, region. He has worked as a researcher, journalist, instructor, counselor, juvenile probation peace officer and public safety urgent response specialist. He graduated from Ohio University with studies in communication (journalism focus) and health education (psychology focus). In his two novels, MISSION INTO LIGHT and the sequel LIGHT'S HAND, a San Diego-based joint-service military and intelligence team of ten women and men research emerging special topics. This "Joint Reconnaissance Study Group" follows paths of discovery to help create a better world. Book, TV and film rights are available. Hammons' movie screenplay combines both novels. Click on the Web site link below for more about the books.
by Steve Hammons
Journalist Angelia Joiner had been covering the UFO story which broke early in January and brought national and international news media representatives and researchers to Stephenville, other nearby small towns and the surrounding region.
Mainstream media such as the Associated Press, CNN and other major TV networks and newspapers covered the incident with great interest. The international press also paid special attention to the UFO sightings in Stephenville and towns in the area.
Media personalities such as CNN's Larry King and NBC's Today show host Matt Lauer explored the sightings on their shows.
In Stephenville, Joiner was a staff writer at the small-town newspaper there. She did an excellent job of researching and interviewing local residents who were surprised, curious and concerned about the very unusual objects they reportedly saw.
As national and international interest in the case grew in January, Joiner was contacted for information as the reporter on the scene with some of the best knowledge of the local community.
Her articles helped inform not only local residents who relied on professional reporting for their community, but also assisted other Americans and people internationally understand that Stephenville people and residents in the area were down-to-Earth, solid and of good character.
The factual and level-headed journalism Joiner provided helped the national news media understand and respect the citizens in these communities. This resulted in some of the most serious and credible reporting in the national media on such an incident in recent memory.
The AP article was carried in hundreds of papers and news outlets. People like Larry King and Matt Lauer talked about the subject with intelligence and open minds.
All these outcomes were related in part to the high level of credibility of local witnesses who were courageous enough to come forward and the professionalism of local reporter Joiner and her colleagues in the national and international news media.
However, some of these witnesses and Joiner seem to be paying a price for doing their civic duty and communicating about an incident that appeared to be very significant, and could even have affected the public safety of the communities in the area.
CENSORSHIP AND "NEED TO KNOW"
According to information obtained for this report, management at the Stephenville Empire-Tribune did not want further coverage in the paper of the sightings by local citizens of something that appeared to be highly unusual. Pressures may have been placed on newspaper management to discontinue articles on the subject.
According to the newspaper's Web site, "The Stephenville Empire-Tribune is a mid-morning paper published six days a week by Erath Publishers, Inc., a Consolidated Southwest Media company which is owned by American Consolidated Media. The Empire-Tribune is a member of the Associated Press, Texas Press Association, West Texas Press Association and the Inland Press Association."
Publisher Rochelle Stidham and Managing Editor Sara Vanden Berge were contacted for their comments for this report but did not immediately respond.
Did the paper's management face pressures to end coverage of the UFO sighting by a local peace officer, respected businessman and pilot and reportedly dozens of other local citizens? Did they back away from accounts of local citizens who said they were apparently being threatened for talking about what they saw?
Is this a case of media censorship or self-censorship and political correctness? Is it about professional courage and moral integrity? And, can the newspaper now be trusted by the community to cover important aspects of public health and safety, local political activities and other sometimes sensitive topics?
These seem to be questions for the citizens who read and subscribe to the paper and advertisers who use that newspaper.
The corporate owners of the Empire-Tribune (Consolidated Southwest Media, American Consolidated Media) and the professional news and journalism organizations with which the paper is affiliated (Associated Press, Texas Press Association, West Texas Press Association, Inland Press Association) might also want to review developments there.
As for the former reporter Joiner who had covered the concerns and accounts of local citizens so professionally, life goes on.
She appears to be confident that she did the best job she could have for her community as a responsible local journalist who realized something important had happened to her fellow citizens, neighbors and friends.
"I appreciate the opportunity I have had at the newspaper," Joiner said. "A story of this magnitude drained the limited resources a small newspaper has. I performed my other duties to the best of my ability."
Even as the national and international media interest calmed down somewhat, other ominous developments were occurring in the Stephenville area.
A local resident stated he had received threatening phone calls and threats of implied bodily harm or death for talking publicly about what he saw.
An intruder had also appeared on his rural property at 1 a.m., causing the resident to be concerned about the safety of his family.
See my Feb. 7 article: "Texas UFO witnesses threatened for talking to media?"
As Joiner was covering this more serious aspect of the UFO sighting case (in articles published Feb. 3 and Feb. 4) which appeared to be a law enforcement and criminal matter affecting public safety, she was reportedly told by newspaper management to back off.
"My directions were to move on to something else," Joiner said.
The reason given to Joiner for this was, "because our readership had grown tired of the UFO stories."
However, Joiner was still a contact person and resource for community residents, researchers, news media representatives and others.
While trying to obey management's directives to cover topics other than the UFO sightings and related developments, Joiner said, "It was a difficult task to achieve. I was still receiving a surprising number of e-mails and phone calls on the subject."
"I tried to direct those calls and interviews to after hours or during lunch hours. And I forwarded e-mails to my home so that I would not be giving newspaper time to the subject. I honestly tried to do as they had asked."
The apparent irregularities and journalistic priorities of what was starting to emerge at the Empire-Tribune probably also started to dawn on Joiner as she realized things were not going in a good direction at the paper.
She gave her two-week notice, then was told to leave immediately.
"I had given notice when I realized my boss was unhappy with my performance, but was unexpectedly asked to pack my things and leave Thursday," she said.
Joiner apparently felt that people in her community had "a need to know" about what was going on when respectable citizens came forward with their accounts and subsequent serious incidents reportedly involved the safety of and threats to a local family.
GOING FORWARD
The Stephenville UFO sighting incident is not the first and will not be the last. The responses by local and regional public safety officials to such incidents have also occurred before, and will again. Local, national and international news media professionals are also part of the picture, past, present and future.
Americans wearing the military uniform of our country and our intelligence professionals are certainly also parts of the puzzle involving UFOs and how our society deals with an apparently sensitive and complex situation. Their respect and support for good American citizens will remain crucial in the days ahead.
Many of the residents of the Stephenville region are just such good Americans. Reporter Joiner knew this because she knows the people of her community.
Local journalists typically work on topics involving all kinds of community activities: the local schools and hospitals, area peace officers and public safety personnel, businesses and employers, civic groups and organizations. And when they do, reporters often feel a sense of responsibility to do their best for their neighbors and their communities.
This works in reverse too, at the local and national levels. Our newspapers, TV and radio media, Web-based news and other similar information platforms are sometimes only as good as the standards we expect of them, and the support we give to honorable and ethical journalists.
Like the old saying, "In a democracy, citizens get the government they deserve," the same can be said about our news media. We get the newspapers and news media we demand, deserve and support.
If we continue along a path of the "dumbing down" of Americans, as many have alleged, the fabric of our communities and our nation may deteriorate.
If we search for truth, integrity and honor within ourselves, our media and our government officials, we may just find that too.
The citizens of the Stephenville region, and all the rest of us, must decide about the directions we want to take. Do we want to continue being dumbed down? Do we want to stick our head in the sand and close our eyes?
Or, do we want greater respect as American citizens and intelligent human beings who have the ability to understand sensitive, complex and, yes, even highly unusual and unexpected situations?
When events occur that affect public health and safety, public information, our rights and responsibilities as citizens, what are our roles and those of our institutions such as local and national government and the news media?
These are questions that, it appears, must be faced and dealt with if our communities, our society and our nation will continue to thrive.
Texas newspaper writer unemployed after publishing military harassment story of UFO witness
February 9, 2008 by Independent Reporter Editor

STEPHENVILLE, TX - A staff writer with the Stephenville Empire-Tribune recently found herself at the center of her own story after she was directed to stop writing about UFO’s and pursue more flattering articles.
Ultimately, she ended up out of a job.
Angelia Joiner, a staff writer with the Empire-Tribune for the past 18 months, on February 3-4, 2008 wrote two in-depth articles about Ricky Sorrells who alleged that he was being harassed by the United States Air Force.
Sorrells was one of several witnesses who claimed to have seen a UFO in Stephenville and was interviewed by the Associated Press in mid-January.
According to Ms. Joiner’s published account, Sorrells alleges that “military officials have been harassing him by flying military aircraft over his property at low altitudes.” The article goes on to state that the military flyovers have disturbed the man’s livestock and interrupted sleep patterns.
The articles created a lot of interest within the community, generating record revenue for the newspaper through increased readership in January, but eyebrows were raised within the editorial offices.
In an email posted on Open Minds Forum — a message board specializing in UFology, Disclosure, Exopolitics and Paranormal Studies — Ms. Joiner revealed that the newspaper wanted her to cease and desist crafting stories related to the matter.
Pressure may have come from influential citizens within the community. As one city councilman allegedly put it, “the whole thing was an embarrassment to the town,” Joiner stated.
The writer then made the decision to submit her two week notice, but was asked by her boss to leave sooner. Her computer was “confiscated”, her rolodex came up missing and she was “made to feel like a criminal.”
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Stephenville Empire-Tribune: UFO witness claims harassment
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Stephenville Empire-Tribune: More twists in the Sorrells’ saga
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CNN: UFO fever
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Open Minds Forum: Angelia Joiner’s email to a message board administrator
WAS TEXAS REPORTER ANGELIA JOINER FIRED or ASKED TO "RESIGN" AFTER BEING
TOLD TO "STAND DOWN" FOR HER COVERAGE OF THE STEPHENVILLE, TX, UFO WAVE
OF MASS SIGHTINGS, A LEGITIMATE NEWS EVENT?!
SHE WAS FIRED AFTER GIVING HER 2-WEEKS NOTICE ... ONLY IN AMERIKA!
http://www.ufo-blog.com/ufo
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JOIN THE ACTIVE, REAL-TIME, LIVELY, ONGOING DISCUSSION ON "The Open
Minds Forum" ABOUT ANGELIA JOINER and RICKY SORRELS, THE UFO WITNESS
HARASSED BY UNSEEN FORCES!
http://lucianarchy.proboards21
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http://www.americanchronicle
LOCAL REPORTER ON TEXAS UFO CASE LEAVES NEWSPAPER / INTEGRITY OF LOCAL,
NATIONAL NEWS MEDIA ARE EXPLORED –
By Steve Hammons
AmericanChronicle.com, Saturday, February 9, 2008
TEXAS – The local newspaper reporter in Stephenville, Texas, who
helped cover a UFO sighting case there is no longer working at the
Stephenville Empire-Tribune newspaper, effective last Thursday, Feb. 7.
Journalist Angelia Joiner had been covering the UFO story which broke
early in January and brought national and international news media
representatives and researchers to Stephenville, other nearby small
towns and the surrounding region.
Her articles helped inform not only local residents who relied on
professional reporting for their community, but also assisted other
Americans and people internationally understand that Stephenville people
and residents in the area were down-to-Earth, solid and of good
character. Media personalities such as CNN*s Larry King and NBC*s Today
show host Matt Lauer explored the sightings on their shows.
WAS THIS AN ALIEN-BASED "CRYSTAL RECTANGLE?"
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi
http://www.globalsecurity.org
TOP SECRET DEVICE: Reuters news agency reported that around the town of
Bronson, near the Texas-Louisiana border, hundreds of national guardsmen
joined federal agents and volunteers to search for what was believed to
be a top-secret device from the shuttle.
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FLASHBACK: Dr EDWARD TELLER's PITCH TO PRESIDENT REAGAN FOR SDI:
http://209.132.68.98/pdf
http://www.majesticdocuments
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[UFO Videos] POSSIBLE UFO SEEN OVER EAST TEXAS LAKE ... UFO MYSTERY!
http://www.kltv.com/global
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UFO FLASH NOTE: MUTUAL UFO NETWORK STATE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR TO PRESENT
SEPHENVILLE, TX, INVESTIGATION RESULTS –
By Jennifer Litz, Editor, Friday, February 8, 2008
http://www.sanangelolive.com
Steve Hudgeons with MUFON will present the results of his investigation
of the Stevenville, Texas, UFO sighting in January some time in March.
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http://www.youtube.com/comment
[Audio] NEW and RECENT "DISCLOSURE PROJECT" MEDIA APPEARANCES BY Dr
STEVEN GREER and DAN WILLIS:
http://disclosureproject.org
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v
http://hbccufo.org/videos
http://disclosureproject.org
http://www.hbccufo.org/modules
Mexico: Luminous UFO Lands at Cerro Pie de Minas
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Mexico: Luminous UFO Lands at Cerro Pie de Minas


Source: www.analuisacid.com
Date: 01.31.08
MEXICO: Luminous UFO Lands at Cerro Pie de Minas.
*** A report by Ana Luisa Cid and Jesus Martinez Castro ***
The city of Chilpancingo (state of Guerrero’s) La Cronica Vespertina newspaper reported the sighting of an unknown light that landed at Cerro Pie de Minas, emitting flashes for over 30 hours and causing alarm among the locals.
The event took place in the early morning hours of December 31, 2007 in the town of Mezcala, Guerrero. According to the news report from journalist Francisco Rangel, dated January 10, 2008, the phenomenon was observed by the entire town, cutting across all ages ranging from children to senior citizens and including mining engineers and laborers at the Los Filos gold mine.
Eyewitness accounts suggest that drivers halted their vehicles all the way to the Federal Highway in order to take a look at the intense light source that traveled across various parts of the locality at an estimated altitude of 300 meters. They describe a saucer-shaped craft that passed over the town square slowly and silently before landing on a hill known as Pie de Minas, where it emitted flashes for over 30 hours.
According to the newspaper story, witnesses to the phenomenon complained of eye irritation despite the fact that they saw it at a considerable distance. Not only that, but there is also talk of fluctuations in the level of electric power in spite of the fact that no voltage changes were detected at the electric substation belonging to the Comision Federal de Electricidad.
Many people took photos and videos with their cameras and cellphones, but their recordings were affected and distorted by an alleged magnetic force. They added that even the pictures taken with analog cameras were overexposed.
According to the newspaper article: “The object was seen by most of the population, ranging from small children to the elderly and entire families, seen at considerable distances by the luminosity that affected the eyes of many residents and the fact that the electric levels of all the homes dropped whenever the light’s intensity increased, ranging from a soft shade of light blue to a white and phosphorescent blue, acquiring yellow, orange and soft red tones....”
Many video recordings exist in spite of this, taken by people who managed to record it from their homes at a distance of 4 or 6 kilometers away. The footage shows a round light, whether white or light blue, with strange figures at its core that were described-- by those who peered at the object through binoculars – as something resembling a cat or a being with horns, causing the greatest degree of fear among the locals, rendering them unable to sleep for the two following nights. The sighting was not made known beyond the confines of the town until the first days of this week, although reports of alleged meteorite activity had been received from Amojileca and Xochipala on January 1st. Residents of Mezcala say that the inclement weather – strong, cold winds – could have been caused by the luminous UFO which appeared to have landed on the hill known as Pie de Mina in the wilderness known as “La V”, from where it was filmed by many locals with their diminutive Handycams and who were clearly afraid that something awful would happen, or that the vehicle’s crew would harm them.
Alfonso Ramirez Maya, 35, a farmer and board-layer, had a chance to film the UFO with his video camera and his daughter’s cell phone. He showed us the images taken, and those in which the light can be seen moving, but with deformations of the images on the cellphone. The white light resembles a balloon that changes shape, despite their best efforts at remaining steady. The images were obtained from their house on Calle Francisco Villa n/n, Colonia Cabeza de Culebra, 5 km from the sighting one kilometer distant from the Mexico City – Acapulco Federal Highway that passes through Mezcala.
Another person who had the opportunity to record a video was Jesus Santana Hernandez, who filmed the UFO as it flew over the community, but sent the video to Houston so that a relative could make it known through a local TV station, since some thought they could profit from selling the images. However, the majority of the locals who have the evidence are hesitant to disclose it, as they do not wish to earn themselves a poor reputation or be dismissed as lunatics.
However, they are all willing to discuss the experience after being told that an effort is underway to document the sighting, and even willing to accompany a research group to the site, as it is a rugged terrain filled with rattlesnakes and scorpions. Many of the people interviewed, among whom were serious individuals of all ages, youths and even children, offered interpretations of the story that agreed with one another's regarding the sighting of the light on the hill and its transit over the community of Mezcala, further agreeing with the fear and consternation they experienced for the 30-hour span in which the “flying saucer” was present.
Many residents of this community stated that there were several occasions in which some people tried to reach the place where the UFO touched down. In the night and evening of January first, when up to 20 or 30 pickup trucks laden with people tried to reach the sight were the light could be seen, the light simply went dark. There exists, however, the report of a group that came within fifty meters of the vessel described as a flying saucer, whose color was similar to that of brilliant, galvanized sheet metal, with a whitish or light blue light. These people brought with them video and still cameras, but their vehicles were left without power, with no electricity and stalled engines. Furthermore, camera batteries were inexplicably drained despite having been charged, and returned to normal operating conditions later on.
Bold youths who dared approach the UFO clearly heard two dry, metallic sounds emerging from the interior of the alleged craft. This spooked them into hiding under their pickup trucks and even made them weep like children, as they believed the occupants would emerge to seize them. This fear prompted them to flee the site as best they could, and they refuse to talk about it.
Closer images were obtained from videos taken from the slopes of Pie de Mina – one kilometer distant – where the object can be seen as larger, resembling a large white circle of encapsulated light. Symbols can be made out, and even the shape of a face drawn on a card by another witness, having the shape of a feline or a horned being that appears to be at the center of the light.
To many businessmen in downtown Mezcala, and food vendors who witnessed the phenomenon from the early hours of December 31, also saw the gathering of people who had set out to see the UFO phenomenon and who offered their versions about what it could be. There were many who recorded videos or took photos, but after the novelty wore off, they became disaffected after making the trip in groups of pickup trucks – accompanied by two local sheriffs – without finding anything. To calm the populace down, they said [the sighting ] had been caused by the clash of high voltage wires that entwined in the strong wind.
The owner of a budget store says that sales declined because people became frightened, and that Mezcala looked “like a ghost town” as many of its residents fled out of fear, believing that harm would befall them because the vehicle remained on the hillside, emitting powerful flashes skyward even in broad daylight. There are even those who say that another light above appeared to blink, as if communicating the one below. This made them fear the worst, and contributed to restless sleep for two nights.
There is much more evidence of the extraordinary event, known as a Close Encounter of the 2nd Kind (CE-2), a variety of eyewitness accounts from an entire community stricken with terror by the tremendous light that lit all of the nearby hills, and even caused the city’s own electric lights to dwindle, all of this amid strong winds and the cold nights of early 2008.
In order to reach the landing site of the luminous UFO, it is necessary to walk for several hours or reach the site on all-terrain vehicles, since there could be evidence of some sort to be found where the UFO remained for 30 hours, all the while flashing its lights.
It should be noted that the area has various mineral and metal deposits, such as uranium, cobalt, gold, silver and copper. [...] A more thorough investigation of what appears to be a genuine UFO case must be performed, verifying if there were any traces left behind at Pie de Minas hill, in the “La V” wilderness of the community of Mezcala, Municipality of Zumpango del Rio, state of Guerrero. Other reports involving strange phenomena have been received from other municipalities early this year.
(Text submitted by reporter Javier Francisco Reyes)
Translation (c) 2008, S. Corrales, IHU - Special thanks to Ana Luisa Cid)
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