Roland Leitner
                                                2716 - 18th Street N.W.
                                                Calgary, Alberta, T2M 3T8
                                                H)282-1722

Editor,
Peace River Record Gazette,
Peace River, Alberta                            Calgary, Oct. 4, 1992


Editorial of Aug. 12, 1992: Careful working of the media is the strategy


It is true, as your introduction to the above editorial suggests, that the
"Lubicon land claim issue is very different outside the Peace Country than it
is here." The difference is because of the contrived and distorted "facts" you
so extensively hawk to your readership, rather than with your investigative
skills or journalistic integrity.

You say, that "being so close to the source, it is easy for the local media to
examine the allegations made and quickly confirm or refute them " as, you
claim, "was the case when the so-called bar-room brawl occurred between Fred
Lennarson, an Austrian visitor, some Lubicon band members and some Daishowa
workers in a local pub." You conclude that "After a short investigation, the
real story of what happened was very evident...but that wouldn't be big news
in the city, now would it?" 

Having been in the "local pub" the night some Daishowa workers wanted to have
some fun along with their drinks I read with great interest your editorial of
that account. At that time you managed to produce a fairy-tale account more
contrived to please the local newspaper buyers and prospective benefactors of
a parochial editorial mind. You indeed quickly examined, it obviously became
"very evident" what was good for you, and then confirmed or refuted as you saw
fit. 

This year's second edition of the "so-called bar-room brawl" includes even
more fictitious license by, among other hilarious examples of your peculiar
mixture of investigative skills and fairy-tale reporting, placing some Lubicon
band members at the scene. No Lubicon band members were ever present the
evening of the "so-called bar-room brawl", not even in your first fairy-tale
edition of Aug. 29, 1990.

Move over, Brothers Grimm!







cc: Chief Bernard Ominayak
    Mr. Fred Lennarson
    Dr. Peter Schwarzbauer
    Mr. Oswald Iten