When Flatwater Free Press reporter Yanqi Xu wrote an investigative piece on the high nitrate levels found on hog farms owned by Nebraska’s Gov. Jim Pillen, she never expected that her identity is what would make national news.
In October 2023, when asked about the story during a radio interview Gov. Pillen told the host that he had not read the article and, “The author is from communist China. What more do you need to know?”
Xu spoke to NPF’s Widening the Pipeline fellows about her experience as the target of comments about her nationality while she was just trying to do her job as a journalist.
Xu said it was scary, but her editors were really considerate when it happened. “They said that we want to do something, but we want to make sure that you talk to your immigration lawyer before we proceed just in case. They wanted to take care of me as an employee and how they would do it.”
Matt Wynn, the executive director of Nebraska Journalism Trust, which owns the Flatwater Free Press, wrote a column defending Xu and asking Pillen to reflect on his response:
“Good journalists like Yanqi want to write stories – they don’t want to be the story.
We in the media are used to criticism. We do it ourselves, questioning our own reporting, our biases, our facts, our sources. …
This week, I also offered Pillen the opportunity to apologize for his words, calling his office and emailing his staff. He has yet to respond. I hope he still will. I hope that he takes the time to reflect on his response and understand why it may make many thousands of Nebraskans feel less welcome here.”
The International Women’s Media Foundation released a statement and helped find her a therapist. PEN America also helped her, she said. Xu credits the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) with providing a great deal of support and says friends helped her stay empowered and grounded.
“I think that having the mental strength to even deal with it and have people on the side who can calm you down in a sense was really helpful,” she said.
Xu believes identity is multi-layered – she’s a journalist, she’s a woman of color and part of the Asian community.
“And so that’s how people perceive me probably. But what I want the world to know about myself: I want to be remembered by my reporting, not anything about me.”
Access the full transcript here.
The Widening the Pipeline Fellowship is sponsored by the Evelyn Y. Davis Foundation and Lenovo. NPF is solely responsible for the content.
