BURNS, Oregon – It’s become a staple of late night comedy that there are more reporters than occupiers at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. However, the Washington Examiner discovered Thursday it is far from clear this is the case.
On Tuesday, the Washington Post reported, “fewer than a dozen occupiers spoke to the news media. And a tour of park headquarters revealed few occupiers and many rooms that looked untouched.”
This lowball estimate has had downmarket effects. Generally, news outlets have reported that 15 or fewer occupiers on site. However, freelance journalist James Pogue, who is very familiar with many of the Oregon occupiers after spending a night there this week, said that a better estimate would be “dozens.”
That seems to jibe with what the Washington Examiner observed on site Thursday. Not counting government vehicles, there were more than 20 occupier vehicles, and many of those transported two or more people.
So while it’s true there are a lot of journalists on scene, they appear to be outnumbered by the occupiers — even during the day.
