The media are missing the real issues surrounding a logging project in the Cripps Bend area of the Shawnee National Forest, a former newspaper reporter said Tuesday while speaking outside of the Student Center.

He said the press is giving more coverage to the arrests of protesters demonstrating against the logging than to the issues which have an impact on Southern Illinois.

Gary Wolf, a former reporter who is a doctoral student in journalism at SIUC, spoke to a group of about 30 spectators in what he referred to as a one-man filibuster, criticizing media coverage of logging in the forest.

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Trees are being cut as part of a logging project in a seven-acre region of the Cripps Bend area in the forest, located near Pamona. Protesters of the project have camped in the area since Sept. 13. So far, nine protesters have been arrested at Cripps Bend for crossing into a restricted logging area.

I am speaking today (Tuesday) to elevate public discourse, Wolf said, as people began to gather on the north lawn of the Student Center to hear him speak.

Wolf said issues such as how much money is being made by the U.S. Forest Service and loggers from the sale of Cripps Bend timber, to what degree the project is impacting the environment and how the log resources are going to be used are being ignored by the media.

Wolf said concerned citizens need to let the media know they are not satisfied with neglect in the news of the important issues and concentration on arrests.

Call up the local media and say, Hey, I’m ignorant about this issue and you’re (media) making me ignorant,’ Wolf said, raising his voice.

Wolf cited newspaper headlines about the arrests of protesters at Cripps Bend as evidence of a lack of information provided by the media on the logging issue.

The way the media is reporting this One arrested,’ Two arrests,’ and Two more arrested,’ is not a good explanation of what’s going on out there, Wolf said. Why is the media fascinated with arrests? Is there no more to this story?

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Wolf said he thinks that most of the money earned and the timber resources gained from the project will never benefit the taxpayers of Southern Illinois. He said the only parties that will benefit from the project are timber industries and logging companies.

This project is a raw deal for everyone, Wolf said.

Wolf said journalists should be doing a better job in finding out who is profiting from the project and how much the profiting party is making.

You won’t find it in any journalism textbook, but any seasoned journalist knows this phrase:Follow the money trail, Wolf said. Even a budding journalist should realize this.

Many spectators nodded and expressed approval at what Wolf said.

Brian Rutzen, a senior in history from West Chicago, said he was glad that someone was addressing the Cripps Bend logging issue on campus.

It’s about time that someone started screaming and said elevate public disclosure, Rutzen said.

Jason Utley, a senior in forestry from Belleville, said he agreed with much of what Wolf said. He said, however, he can see both sides of the logging issue both protester and logger.

A lot of emotion is involved, Utley said. They’ve (loggers) got a feeling for it and so do the environmentalists. I think they should be able to reach some kind of common ground.

Wolf said in his filibuster that he was not personally against the loggers, but he said he questions the overall logging policy of the U.S. Forest Service.

These are all questions the media needs to be asking, Wolf said. Questions that we, as concerned citizens should demand that they ask.