CNMI Journalists: Masters of the Art of Not Asking, Not Telling, Not Knowing
- CNMIGA .ORG
- Jan 3
- 16 min read
Updated: Jan 4
Oh, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands – that shimmering speck in the Pacific where federal dollars vanish faster than a tourist's sunburn under a typhoon of tropical denial, and where the local media plays the role of the world's most oblivious lifeguard, dozing off while sharks circle the swimmers.
But let's pause for a moment and ask the obvious rhetorical question: how can we expect foreign imported workers from nations that are committing crimes, fraud, human trafficking, etc., to provide us with accurate, patriotically focused news that affects American citizens, when 99% of the so-called reporters—that we at cnmiga.org term "repeaters"—are all from third-world countries committing the fraud, and they have never lived in America, and lastly are not American citizens?
It's like asking a fox to guard the henhouse while the fox is busy feathering its own nest back home.
These "repeaters" aren't journalists; they're echo chambers for the elites, regurgitating press releases with the enthusiasm of a robot on low battery, all while ignoring the rot that's eating away at the islands' core.
Remember the Saipan Tribune? That glorious era when it was allegedly a straight-up mouthpiece for the Chinese Communist Party, pumping out propaganda like it was printing money (which, ironically, might explain where all those unaccounted billions went—straight into the pockets of elites while the press looked the other way).
But hey, at least it had some agenda, even if it was a foreign one! Fast-forward to its departure, and what do we have? A media landscape that's devolved into a juvenile sandbox of spelling bees gone wrong, press releases regurgitated verbatim like a bad game of telephone, and a collective yawn at anything resembling actual journalism.
It's as if the reporters collectively decided that "investigative" means investigating the latest flavor of shaved ice rather than the ice-cold corruption freezing the islands' future.
Take Marianas Variety, the self-proclaimed "Micronesia's Leading Newspaper." Leading where, exactly? To the land of fluff pieces on tourism rebranding and year-in-review recaps that read like a bored intern's diary entry after a long nap? Sure, they'll report on a visa fraud indictment here or a guilty plea there – like the recent case of some employer getting slapped with charges for CW-1 shenanigans – but don't hold your breath for any follow-up that bites harder than a mosquito.
No digging into how these scams tie into the bigger picture of human trafficking rings that treat foreign workers like disposable chopsticks in a takeout order gone wrong.
Instead, it's "Governor Says Economy is Tough, But Hey, Look at This New Casino Bill!" As if slapping a band-aid on a sinkhole will stop the federal funds from swirling down the drain to Philippine remittances or Chinese "investments" that smell fishier than a week-old poke bowl.
And who are these "repeaters" behind the bylines? Names like those from the Philippines or other third-world spots, churning out content that's about as American as a fortune cookie—foreign-born, foreign-minded, and foreign-loyal, with no stake in the stars and stripes.
And then there's KSPN News, the TV equivalent of a lullaby sung by a tone-deaf choir. Their broadcasts are so soothingly substance-free, you'd think they were sponsored by the CNMI Elites' Sleep Aid Foundation, complete with a disclaimer: "May cause drowsiness and indifference to graft." Corruption? Nepotism? Familia cabals where elected officials hand out jobs like candy at a family reunion, all while indigenous folks get the wrapper?
Pfft, who needs that when you can cover the latest ribbon-cutting at a half-empty mall or a feel-good story about "community resilience" post-typhoon?
Never mind that those same officials are allegedly redirecting U.S. taxpayer dollars to baby tourism schemes (because nothing says "America First" like birthing anchors for foreign nationals on Uncle Sam's dime) or marketing boondoggles in Beijing that could fund a small army.
KSPN's idea of "hard-hitting" is probably asking the governor if he prefers latte or cappuccino at his next unaccountable presser, followed by a nod and a "yep, yep, yep, you're absolutely right, sir."
And guess who's delivering this drivel?
More foreign "repeaters," imported under CW-1 visas or similar, with allegiances tied to homelands where press freedom is a punchline, not a principle.
It's embarrassing, really—cringe-worthy, like watching a bad karaoke performance of "Don't Stop Believin'" while the stage is on fire.
In a place where audits go missing like socks in a dryer – as detailed in those eye-opening PDFs from "Persona Non Grata" about unaccounted federal billions and Zeno's Paradox of endless fiscal delays – the media should be the watchdog, barking loudly at every whiff of wrongdoing.
But nooo, they're too busy being hypnotic inducers of fake news bliss, lulling the public into complacency while the islands undergo a slow-motion Sino-Filipino takeover that's about as subtle as a typhoon warning siren.
Indigenous Chamorro and Carolinian Americans?
Screwed out of their "blood quorum" rights while elites funnel funds to non-citizens like it's a charity drive for the wrong cause. CW-1 visa fraud that's basically a conveyor belt for exploitation? Crickets chirping louder than the press corps. Human trafficking networks that make the islands a Pacific pit stop for modern slavery?
Must be too "off-script" for these pros, who prefer scripts handed to them by the very cabals they're supposed to expose. And let's not forget, these "repeaters" hail from countries where such exploitation is par for the course—how can they shine a light on it when their own backgrounds are mired in similar shadows?
Where's the independent journalism?
The citizen sleuths armed with smartphones, exposing how federal grants meant for disaster recovery end up in offshore properties or elite trusts faster than you can say "embezzlement"?
Nowhere, because CNMI media isn't about balance or public protection – it's a venue for elite echo, a PR machine that whispers sweet nothings about "progressive repopulation" while the economy stays as depressed as a teenager after a bad breakup, scrolling through Instagram for validation that never comes.
If Watergate happened in Saipan, these outlets would report it as "Local Plumbers Visit Hotel, Nothing to See Here, But Have You Tried the New Poke Bowl?"
The irony is thick: foreign "repeaters" covering stories about foreign labor abuse, all while ignoring the American citizens footing the bill for their imported indifference.
Let's talk specifics, shall we?
Enter Thomas Manglona and his Marianas press empire, where "journalism" is less about education and more about evasion.
With a background that screams "stay in your lane," Manglona's platform has mastered the art of covering up major issues like a magician hiding a rabbit—except the rabbit is rampant corruption, and the audience is left wondering where the truth went.
What type of journalism is that?
The kind where you nod along to the elites' tune, perhaps learned from a curriculum heavy on "How to Ignore Red Flags 101." It's satirical gold: imagine a "leading newspaper" that's more lapdog than watchdog, fetching press releases instead of bones of contention.
And don't get me started on Brad Raszala's NMI press— a fraudster's wet dream, where no questions are asked, just head nods, and a chorus of "yep, yep, yep; you're absolutely right." It's like a therapy session for the corrupt, where the only probing is into how to make the next fluff piece fluffier.
While these local "journalists" play patty-cake with power, outlets like Kandit News from Guam are out there shining floodlights on the shadows, risking it all to expose the familia cabals and federal fund funnels that CNMI media treats like forbidden fruit. And who staffs these CNMI outlets? A cadre of foreign "repeaters" whose loyalties lie elsewhere, turning the fourth estate into a foreign estate.
Contrast that with the real MVPs: non-CNMI based media and whistleblower sites like Kandit News and cnmiga.org, which are basically the Batman to CNMI press's Alfred—always in the know, never afraid to dive into the dark.
Kandit has been relentless, dropping bombshells on everything from Ralph Torres' scandals to the Feds' failure to prosecute, while cnmiga.org serves up exposés on foreign influence and visa crises that make you wonder if the local press even has Wi-Fi.
These outsiders are the ones asking the hard questions, linking the dots on how international policies like CW-1 visas turn into exploitation engines, all while CNMI media sips piña coladas on the beach of blissful ignorance.
Take cnmiga.org's "The CNMI Visa Crisis," ( Here>>> https://www.cnmiga.org/post/the-cnmi-visa-crisis-protecting-american-workers-and-national-security ) a gripping exposé that uncovers how visa abuse and federal fund misuse have betrayed American workers and endangered U.S. interests—stuff the local "repeaters" wouldn't touch with a ten-foot pole, probably because it hits too close to their imported homes.
To drive the point home like a stake through a vampire's heart (or a corrupt official's ego), here's a biting list of the top 33 issues in the CNMI from 2000 to 2025—corruption, international policies gone awry, fraud, waste, abuse of federal funds, human trafficking, federal indictments, and elected shenanigans—that the local media conveniently ignored, treating them like yesterday's news that's not worth today's ink.
Meanwhile, non-CNMI outlets and sites like Kandit and cnmiga.org were out there, lanterns in hand, illuminating the rot.
Each entry comes with a link to an article or report from these brave souls, proving that while CNMI press plays ostrich, the truth finds a way—usually via Guam or D.C.
Jack Abramoff Lobbying Scandal (2005-2006): Lobbyists paid by CNMI to block federal labor laws, involving bribery and corruption. Local media downplayed; exposed by national outlets. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Abramoff_CNMI_scandal
Benigno Fitial Impeachment Attempt (2012): Accusations of felonies, corruption, and neglect, including misuse of power. CNMI press soft-pedaled; detailed by ABC. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-08-27/an-cnmi-governor-fitial-faces-impeachment/4226146
Benigno Fitial Impeachment (2013): Impeached for corruption involving family hires and abuse of office. Local silence; Huffington Post covered. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/benigno-fitial-impeached_n_2664553
Benigno Fitial Sentencing (2015): Jailed for misconduct and corruption related to releasing a masseuse from detention. Desert Sun reported; locals glossed over. https://www.desertsun.com/story/news/2015/07/06/former-cnmi-governor-spared-prison-leaving-saipan/29801813/
Ralph Torres Impeachment (2022): Impeached for felonies, corruption, and neglect including theft of public funds. CNMI media minimized; Civil Beat detailed. https://www.civilbeat.org/beat/cnmi-house-votes-to-impeach-governor-torres/
Ralph Torres Acquittal (2022): Senate acquitted on party lines amid corruption charges. Local spin positive; Guam PDN critiqued. https://www.guampdn.com/news/cnmi-gov-ralph-torres-acquitted-of-all-impeachment-articles/article_ca4332ec-d66d-11ec-b1e5-979544acf1c2.html
Imperial Pacific Indictments (2020): Executives indicted for RICO, alien harboring, money laundering. Justice.gov press release; locals barely touched. https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/imperial-pacific-international-and-mcc-international-saipan-executives-indicted-federal
Human Trafficking in Garment Factories (2000): International trafficking of women and children reported by HRW. CNMI media ignored; HRW exposed. https://www.hrw.org/news/2000/02/21/international-trafficking-women-and-children
Anti-Trafficking Act Response (2005): Legislation amid trafficking scandals, but enforcement lax. DOI testimony; local press superficial. https://www.doi.gov/ocl/hearings/110/NorthernMarianaIslands
Sex Trafficking Indictment (2007): Woman charged with trafficking and alien smuggling. KUAM covered; CNMI outlets silent. https://www.kuam.com/story/18673295/nmi-woman-charged-with-sex-trafficking-arrested-locally
Labor Trafficking Cases (2018): Three active federal cases. Trafficking Institute report; locals overlooked. https://traffickinginstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/2018-Human-Trafficking-Report-NMA.pdf
Casino Licence Corruption (2014): Legislators accused of corruption in awarding licence. ABC News; CNMI press deflected. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-07-17/an-cnmi-casino-corruption/5603948
BOOST Program Corruption (2024): Allegations of mismanagement and corruption in aid program. Pasquines; local media ignored. https://pasquines.us/2024/03/18/corruption-allegations-trail-northern-mariana-islands-boost-program/
Lt Gov Corruption Charges (2025): Misuse of public funds on Rota. Pacific Island Times; CNMI outlets mute. https://www.pacificislandtimes.com/post/cnmi-s-lt-governor-other-officials-face-corruption-charges-for-alleged-misuse-of-rota-public-funds
Govt Employees Corruption Challenges (2025): Four employees challenge charges. IslaPublic; locals no probe. https://www.islapublic.org/news/2025-08-25/3-cnmi-government-employees-challenge-corruption-charges
Zoning Bribery Case (2025): Conviction in bribery, commitment to fight corruption. Kandit via FB; local spin. https://www.cnmioag.org/office-of-the-attorney-general-secures-conviction-in-zoning-bribery-case-updates-on-ongoing-misconduct-in-public-office-case-and-reinforces-commitment-to-fighting-corruption/
Foreign Influence and Malfeasance (2025): Systemic fraud and corruption. CNMIGA.org; locals blind. https://www.cnmiga.org/post/covenant-betrayed-foreign-influence-and-financial-malfeasance-in-the-cnmi
Federal Funding Black Hole (2024): Misuse of billions. CNMIGA.org; CNMI media yawned. https://www.cnmiga.org/post/the-cnmi-a-federal-funding-black-hole
Open Letter to FBI on Corruption (2025): Call for investigations. CNMIGA.org; no local follow-up. https://www.cnmiga.org/post/open-letter-to-fbi-director-kash-patel-fbi-deputy-director-dan-bongino-and-dni-director-tulsi-gabb
Washington Post Scandal Network (2025): Voice against corruption. Kandit News; locals deaf. https://www.facebook.com/kanditnews/posts/washington-post-reveals-scandalous-network-voice-from-the-grave-against-corrupti/1336230661855027/
Black Swan Corruption Exposed (2020): Epitaph on corruption. Mvariety but via Kandit; satirical take. https://www.mvariety.com/views/editorials/opinion-epitaph-108-black-swan-corruption-exposed-kandit/article_6cb1744e-97b4-53d7-af65-621a1da5f31d.html
Feds Failing CNMI Prosecution (2024): No sign of federal action. Kandit; locals complicit. https://www.facebook.com/kanditnews/posts/the-feds-are-failing-the-cnmis-people-and-the-country-with-no-sign-of-federal-co/990199213124842/
Ralph Torres Corruption Probes (2023): Evidence of corruption. Kandit; no local digs. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1460972968065413&id=212665519562837&set=a.276668876495834
Human Smuggling Operation (2025): CNMI men sentenced for smuggling. Justice.gov; locals overlooked. https://www.justice.gov/usao-gu/pr/cnmi-men-sentenced-federal-prison-human-smuggling-operation-between-saipan-and-guam
Meth Trafficking Sentence (2025): PRC national imprisoned. Youtube via news; CNMI press silent. https://www.youtube.com/shorts/bPzV6KuvPQ
Illegal Entry Cases (2025): Chinese nationals smuggling. KUAM; local media ignored. https://www.kuam.com/story/51984210/multiple-illegal-entry-cases-revealed-in-federal-court
ARRA Funds Oversight Failure (2011): Evaluation of misuse. OPA CNMI but via report; external analysis. https://www.opacnmi.com/oockuvoa/2020/10/IR-11-01-CNMIs-Oversight-of-ARRA-Funds-Evaluation-Report-February-2009-June-2010.pdf
Treasury OIG Report (2023): CNMI management unable to demonstrate fund use. Treasury OIG; locals no coverage. https://oig.treasury.gov/system/files/2023-08/OIG-CA-23-039.pdf
Systemic Visa Fraud (2025): Abuse in programs. Regulations.gov; CNMI press blind. https://downloads.regulations.gov/USCIS-2025-0006-0003/attachment_1.pdf
Governor Expenses Investigation (2019): Allegations of corruption. KUAM; local fluff instead. https://www.kuam.com/story/41528391/cnmi-house-of-representatives-want-governors-expenses-to-investigate-corruption-allegations
Questioned Costs Audit (2025): $257.4M in questioned costs. Mvariety but via biting analysis; Kandit-like. https://www.mvariety.com/news/local/local-news-audit-finds-2574m-in-questioned-cost-wf9n3exq/article_4c1da6cc-463c-4bb2-888e-ed409e655212.html
Saipan Sucks Allegations (2000s): Racism, corruption, worker exploitation. Wikipedia; locals dismissed. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saipan_Sucks
Torres-Era Corruption (2025): Acquitted but scandals persist. Coda Story; CNMI media celebrated. https://www.codastory.com/oligarchy/lawless-in-saipan-and-trump-pardons-crypto-bros/
This litany of ignored scandals is a damning indictment of CNMI media's complicity—while Kandit News risks it all with video editorials calling out the "forces of corruption" and cnmiga.org drops PDFs like "Covenant Betrayed" that read like a prosecutor's dream, local outlets are busy with weather updates and feel-good fillers.
It's a mockery of the fourth estate: Manglona's Marianas Variety, with its "educated" approach to journalism that's more evasion than enlightenment, turning a blind eye to familia ties that bind corruption tight. What kind of degree teaches you to ignore billions vanishing? And Raszala's setup? A fraudster's paradise, where the only investigation is into how to say "yep, yep, yep" without choking on integrity. Meanwhile, the economy craters, indigenous rights erode, and federal dollars flow like lava into private volcanoes.
Expanding on this farce, consider the broader implications: the CNMI's Covenant with the U.S., meant to foster self-sufficiency, has morphed into a dependency trap laced with graft. From 2000's garment sweatshops rife with trafficking—where workers were promised paradise but got hell—to 2025's visa crises turning islands into backdoors for foreign influence, the pattern is clear.
International policies like the CW-1 program, designed for temporary labor, became permanent exploitation engines, with fraud so rampant it's practically a local sport. Yet, while U.S. DOJ indicts executives and OIG reports flag waste, CNMI press acts like it's all a mirage. Kandit's exposés on Torres' admin, like "Use It Or Lose It? The $104M Question," grill the grifters, but locals? Crickets again.
The human cost is staggering: trafficking victims in the thousands, per HRW and State Dept reports, while federal funds for recovery post-Yutu or Soudelor disappear into nepotistic black holes.
Cnmiga.org's "The CNMI: A Federal Funding Black Hole" nails it—billions poured in, but infrastructure crumbles, schools overflow with birth tourism kids, and elites thrive. It's satirical tragedy: imagine a place where corruption is so normalized, the media's biggest scoop is a typhoon forecast. Outsiders like Asia Times decry the "loss of hope," but CNMI journalists? Masters of not knowing, indeed.
In this expanded lens, the CNMI's media malaise isn't just lazy—it's lethal, enabling a Sino-Filipino economic takeover where remittances bleed the economy dry, per "Persona Non Grata" docs.
While Kandit mocks the "Lou-Josh admin" scandals, locals nod along. The solution?
Federal intervention, as cnmiga.org pleads in open letters to FBI—prosecute the cabals, audit the abyss. Until then, the islands sink, and the press sleeps.
But let's dive deeper into the visa vortex, as detailed in "The CNMI Visa Crisis" report.
The CW-1 program, meant to plug labor gaps, has become a gaping hole for abuse. A 2023 GAO report shows 70% of the workforce is foreign, dwarfing local employment and spiking unemployment to 8.2% for U.S. citizens. Case in point: Pacific Rim Contractors tossed aside 62 American applications to hire Chinese workers at $8 an hour, $2.25 below the legal wage, saving themselves a bundle while locals scramble for scraps. That's not a market economy; that's a rigged game where the house always wins, and the house is built on foreign labor. And the media "repeaters"? They're the dealers, shuffling the cards without ever questioning the game.
Take the historical backdrop—the garment era's trafficking horrors, where 40,000 Chinese workers toiled in sweatshops for $2 an hour, flouting FLSA standards. A 1998 Senate hearing exposed barracks conditions and debt bondage, but enforcement fizzled.
The 2008 Consolidated Natural Resources Act tried to cap it, but extensions to 2029 have kept the spigot open for 12,000 workers yearly. Employers dodge hiring rules, with only 10% of job postings genuine.
No E-Verify means fraud flourishes, and the "repeaters" report it as "economic growth." Meanwhile, federal funds—$550 million since 2008—are squandered: $20 million FEMA dollars diverted post-Yutu, $86 million ARPA overcommitted, leaving CHCC $11.5 million in debt and CUC unable to supply clean water to 30% of households. The "repeaters" cover ribbon-cuttings, not the red ink.
And the national security angle? The islands are U.S. outposts, but China's $3.1 billion investments, including Imperial Pacific's casino fiasco, smell of influence peddling.
Illegal immigration masks espionage—think the 2024 Boulder attack by an overstayer. With seven ICE agents for both territories, it's a joke. Trump's team—Homan, Noem, Bondi, Patel—must step in: deport overstayers, vet investments, secure bases. But the foreign "repeaters" won't touch that story; their passports might not approve.
Let's add some fresh fuel to the fire with more scandals the "repeaters" ignored, drawn from "The CNMI Visa Crisis." For instance, Paradise Resort's 2022 overstay scheme: 16 Filipinos paid cash to evade taxes, saving the resort $78,000 yearly while displacing locals. Or Tinian Builders' wage theft, underpaying 20 CW-1 workers $45,000 in six months.
Golden Recruitment's 2024 fee racket defrauded 50 Filipinos of $200,000 for fake visas. Pacific Build Corp on Guam underpaid 100 H-2B workers $1 million.
Tinian Paradise Resort's 2025 trafficking ring smuggled 30 Chinese workers. Guam Regional Medical City's illegal hiring of 50 Filipino nurses.
Imperial Pacific's visa fraud for 80 Chinese casino workers. Rota Build Co.'s overstay scheme with FEMA funds.
Guam Reef Hotel's wage theft. Saipan-to-Guam smuggling of 50 Chinese.
Tinian Star Hotel's fake visas.
Guam Air Contractors' FAA grant misuse.
Saipan Mart's retail wage theft. These aren't anomalies; they're the system, and the "repeaters" are the silent partners.
The report's case studies paint a picture of endemic fraud: employers falsifying records, colluding with recruiters, and exploiting loopholes. Economic impact? $5 million lost wages, $1.5 million tax revenue gone, $3 million reduced spending. Human toll? Victims in debt, locals unemployed, services strained. Recommendations: mandatory E-Verify, more ICE agents, AI audits, local training. But without media pressure, it all stays buried.
In the end, it's not just a joke; it's a tragedy wrapped in palm fronds and tied with red tape. The CNMI deserves better than this media circus of mistakes (typos galore!), misinformation (or rather, no-information), and missed opportunities that could fill a lagoon. Until they grow up and start asking the deeper questions – like why the economy's a black hole for U.S. aid while elites thrive on the rim – we'll just have to rely on outsiders and whistleblowers to spill the real tea.
Stay woke, folks; the local press sure isn't. And as for Manglona and Razala? Keep nodding—yep, yep, yep—while the world laughs at the "art" of your ignorance. And those foreign "repeaters"?
They're not reporting the news; they're rewriting it for their own narratives, leaving American citizens in the dark.
To flesh this out further, let's zoom in on the visa crisis's historical roots, as chronicled in the report. Post-WWII, the CNMI's Covenant granted immigration autonomy, sparking a garment boom that imported 40,000 Chinese workers by 1999, generating $1 billion but at $2 hourly wages. Senate hearings revealed trafficking and abuse, but the industry collapsed in 2005. The CW-1 transition was meant to phase out foreign labor, but extensions kept it alive, with 70% foreign workforce today. Employers like Pacific Rim game the system, and the "repeaters" applaud "economic progress."
Federal fund misuse is the cherry on top: $550 million since 2008, but audits flag $86 million ARPA over-commitments, $38 million overspent general funds. CHCC's debt leaves healthcare in shambles, CUC's failures mean dirty water for 30%. Case in point: $3 million CDBG to a Chinese casino, $11.5 million PUA fraud by overstayers, $15 million FAA to foreign contractors.
The report calls for a financial oversight board, quarterly audits, stricter debarment—echoing Trump's playbook.
National security? The islands are strategic, but Chinese investments ($3.1 billion) and overstays (1,700) risk espionage. Illegal immigration masks espionage—think the 2024 Boulder attack. Trump's surge: 1 million deportations, biometric tracking. Review 10,000 foreign statuses over 20 years—revoke frauds, free jobs for locals.
This expansion underscores the urgency: the CNMI's sinking, and the media "repeaters" are bailing water with teacups. Time for real reform, or the paradise becomes a parody.
Epilogue: A Legacy of Lullabies – The CNMI Media as Elite Enchanter from the 1990s to 2025
As we wrap this satirical skewering of CNMI's journalistic joke, let's cap it with a deep dive into the media landscape from the 1990s to 2025, viewed through the lurid lens of yellow journalism and propaganda. Our unflinching opinion at cnmiga.org? The CNMI media hasn't been a beacon of truth; it's been a protector shielding the corrupt, a deflector diverting attention from graft, and a hypnotist of sorts, mesmerizing the indigenous population into a slumber while crooked officials and their imported conspirators pillage the islands dry. Like a tropical Goebbels with a typewriter, these outlets have spun webs of sensationalism and omission, turning paradise into a propagandist's playground.
Cast your mind back to the 1990s, when the CNMI's garment boom was in full sweatshop swing. Outlets like the Saipan Tribune, founded in 1992 and owned by Tan Holdings Corporation—the very empire profiting from exploited labor—emerged as the voice of the elite. Yellow journalism?
Absolutely: headlines screamed about economic "miracles" while burying tales of trafficking and abuse. The Tribune hailed lobbyist Jack Abramoff as a "freedom fighter" in 1997, defending the islands' autonomy against federal oversight that threatened the garment tycoons' profits. This wasn't reporting; it was propaganda, echoing the sensational tactics of Hearst and Pulitzer in the 1890s Spanish-American War era, but instead of drumming up war, it drummed up denial. Indigenous Chamorros and Carolinians, already marginalized, were fed fluff about "progress" while factories churned out misery for imported workers.
The media acted as protector, shielding owners like Willie Tan from scrutiny, deflecting with stories of "cultural harmony" amid debt bondage.
By the early 2000s, as the Abramoff scandal exploded nationally—revealing bribes to block labor reforms—the CNMI press doubled down on deflection.
Marianas Variety, established in 1972 and often seen as more "neutral," still carried water for the elite, publishing op-eds that painted federal intervention as "imperialism" while ignoring Senate hearings on human rights abuses. KSPN News, the broadcast arm, aired feel-good segments on tourism, hypnotizing viewers with palm-fringed visuals that masked the rot. Propaganda peaked with the Tribune's ownership ties: as Tan Holdings faced lawsuits for wage theft, their paper ran puff pieces on "economic contributions," lulling the indigenous into believing the boom benefited all. But it didn't—federal dollars flowed in for "development," only to vanish into elite pockets, with media as the enchanter whispering "all is well."
The 2010s saw digital shifts, but the propaganda playbook remained.
As the garment industry collapsed post-2005 WTO changes, media pivoted to casino hype, with the Tribune and Variety touting Imperial Pacific as a "savior" despite red flags of Chinese influence. Yellow journalism flared in sensational coverage of typhoons—dramatic headlines on destruction, but scant follow-up on misused recovery funds. Benigno Fitial's 2013 impeachment for corruption? Buried under "political drama" spins that deflected blame to "partisan bickering." Indigenous voices on land rights erosion were hypnotized silent by stories of "repopulation progress," code for foreign influx. Outlets like KSPN ran elite-sponsored ads as "news," protecting figures like Ralph Torres amid nepotism whispers.
Come the 2020s, the landscape shriveled like a typhoon-battered palm. The Saipan Tribune shuttered on December 31, 2024, citing economics—but was it really the death knell of a propaganda machine outed by outsiders? Ownership by Tan Holdings, tied to CCP influences, had long biased coverage toward pro-China narratives, deflecting U.S. security concerns.
Marianas Variety, under local control but staffed by foreign "repeaters," continued the hypnosis with superficial corruption reports—no deep dives into Torres' 2022 impeachment or $257 million questioned costs in 2025 audits. KSPN's broadcasts?
Lullabies of "community unity," ignoring human smuggling rings busted by feds. Yellow journalism evolved into digital deflection: social media "news" amplified elite echoes, putting indigenous asleep as funds for ARPA and BOOST programs were abused.
From 1990s garment apologia to 2025's visa crisis cover-ups, CNMI media has been a masterful propagandist—sensationalizing trivia, protecting cabals, deflecting probes, and hypnotizing the Chamorro/Carolinian populace with illusions of stability.
While corrupt officials and imported allies rob the islands—siphoning billions in federal aid—the press ensures the indigenous dream on, unaware of the theft. It's not journalism; it's enchantment for exploitation. Wake up, CNMI—the spell must break.
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