Editor challenges objection

MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL STAR TRIBUNE

The editor of National Geographic, the prestigious magazine that irritated many North Dakotans with its recent profile of the state titled “The Emptied Prairie,” explains that there has been a “misunderstanding about our intent” concerning the story and photos.

The explanation from National Geographic Editor in Chief Chris Johns comes in a letter faxed recently to North Dakota Gov. John Hoeven, who wrote to Johns objecting to the article.

The January issue’s “The Emptied Prairie: North Dakota ghost towns speak of an irreversible decline” painted a desolate picture of much of the state, at one point declaring that its vast rural stretches are plagued by “abandoned churches, schools shutting down, towns becoming ruins.”

Hoeven said the article was “way off the mark.” He urged its editors back to the state to report on North Dakota’s growing economy, well-educated citizens, solid infrastructure and clean environment.

Johns, in his response, said in part: “Our article was never intended to be an in-depth look at the economy of North Dakota, nor were we attempting to offer a portrayal of the state in its entirety. We were looking at the rural North Dakota landscape and probing the stories behind some of the abandoned homes that still stand.”

“ ... we wanted to tell personal and touching stories of North Dakotans’ relationship with the land and how the landscape has shaped their destiny. The stories we told in the article speak to me of fortitude, and, yes, sometimes regret.”