LINCOLN- The Flatwater Free Press and the Asian American Journalists Association are standing by an investigative reporter after Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen called her “a Communist” when dismissing her in-depth report critical of his farming operation. The response comes after comments the governor made regarding his family hog farming business.

Last month, Pillen took aim at Yanqi Xu, a reporter from the Flatwater Free Press, after her investigative story raised questions about the environmental impact his hog farms had on drinking water. “I really wanted to do journalism in a way that transcended a lot of the common talking points,” Xu said. Her work on examining high nitrate levels and the potential link to childhood cancer won a national award.

Days after the story ran, KFAB asked the governor to comment on Xu’s reporting during an interview with him while he was on a trade mission to South Korea and Japan. “No. 1: I didn’t read it — and I won’t. No. 2: All you got to do is look at the author. The author is from Communist China. What more do you need to know?” “I found it disheartening that it was the only thing he said,” Xu said.

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