Under Reported Kori Feener

On Saturday August 19th in Boston, Massachusetts, one week after the KKK, Neo-nazi’s and the “alt-right” marched into Charlottesville, Virginia; 40,000 protestors took to the streets of Boston to stand up against white supremacy. That same day, an unknown number of Boston and State Police descended upon those protestors. The corporate and local media, the Mayor, and Police Commissioner Evans claimed the day was a success. The 50 or so “free speech rally” attendees got out safely and those that were arrested were, to quote Donald Trump, just "police agitators". The truth is most of the 33 people arrested ended up getting caught up in the dragnet of the police state.

In this episode of Under Reported, Co-Produced by DigBoston and the Boston Institute for Non-Profit Journalism (BINJ) I speak with Carl Williams, Staff Attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts; and Kimberly Carlisle and Jay Kelly, two of the 33 people arrested on August 19th. 

In 2016, Massachusetts settled against Kinder Morgan, paving the way for the Connecticut Expansion pipeline project to cut trees near old Hemlock growth and to use Spectacle Pond as a water source to clean piping. Next month, a special Under Reported brought to you by the Boston Institute for Non-Profit Journalism.

For New England farmers 2016 was a year hit hardest by drought. The most recent statistics from the US Drought Monitor shows Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Connecticut still with large percentages of areas in severe drought. As a more unpredictable climate is upon New England questions are raised about sustainability, the economy of farming, innovation and why local and regional food systems just might be the best solution for changing weather patterns. In this episode of Under Reported I speak with Farmer Chris, the man behind a small farm in Massachusetts called Vanguarden, Severine von Tscharner Fleming founder of The Greenhorns and Brian Donahue, Chair of Environmental Studies at Brandeis University. 

In December I went to Standing Rock to report for DigBoston and the Boston Institute for Non-Profit Journalism. The experience I had there opened my eyes to a history I had been ignorant to. This episode delves into some of the narratives rarely discussed in regards to Standing Rock; media representation and the erasure of indigenous cultures. Cheyenne River Sioux Tribal Chairman Harold Frazier talks land rights, Jade Begay of Indigenous Rising Media discusses erasure in media and Jenni Monet delves into what's happening now at Standing Rock and her arrest while working as a Freelance Journalist.

Every month I will focus on a new story that takes you beyond the headlines and focuses on personal and untold narratives making up today’s news cycle. We will also dig deeper, and give you stories about the people and topics that mainstream media won’t cover. This month, Standing Rock, Tribal Sovereignty and the legal battle of a rigged system. Under Reported premieres February 22nd. Find underreportedpc on twitter for more details.