Unity Is Needed To Fight Bad Publicity

Fortunately, most Americans living outside the Pacific Northwest don’t know the difference between Iowa and Idaho. And if they do, they’re more likely to think about russets than racists and mine waste.

Still, the state suffers from an image problem that’s based more on fiction than fact. Becoming the adopted home of racist Richard Butler, survivalist Randy Weaver and ex-Detective Mark Fuhrman will do that to a rural state.

Hollywood can’t conceive of an Idaho without ultraright-wing nut cases lining every logging road and skinheads marching down main street. Then, major publications like the New York Times, GQ and the Washington Post turn over rocks looking for Idaho’s extremists. Never mind that more kooks, killers and bigots may exist in one metropolitan block than in all of Idaho.

Idaho’s depiction isn’t fair, but that’s beside the point. Perception is reality. Something should be done to counteract the bad publicity that dogs Idaho. And Duane Hagadone’s recent call for an “image summit” may be a starting point.

In a pessimistic address to Coeur d’Alene Realtors, the resort owner called for a meeting of civic and business leaders to brainstorm ideas on how to change the way the nation’s media view Idaho. Said Hagadone: “We have to get off this negative slide.”

During the 1980s, the turning point in the battle against racism by the Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations came when business and civic leaders joined in. Sure, the motive wasn’t always pure. Some were more concerned about their bottom lines than the evil of racism. But the united front did much to stop the spread of white supremacism in North Idaho and provided a model for other communities.

If anything, Hagadone’s scope is too narrow.

For once, he should drop the us-against-them mentality that separates North Idaho from Eastern Washington. An “image summit” should include civic and community leaders from throughout Idaho and the Inland Northwest - as well as human-rights leaders. A problem like racism must be dealt with - not glossed over.

Fortunately, an Idaho Department of Commerce study of distant cities revealed that virtually no one associates North Idaho with racists and other negative stories. Of course, that could all change if, for example, North Idahoans are linked to the Olympics bombing.

Idaho needs to be prepared next time all media hell breaks lose.

, DataTimes The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = D.F. Oliveria/For the editorial board