New Peacock documentary “Kill. Bury. Print.” tells the story of a small-town newspaper in Idabel, Oklahoma facing retaliation from local law enforcement after covering allegations of crimes related to violence, drugs and inappropriate relationships inside of the McCurtain County Sheriff’s Office.
The experiences of the McCurtain Gazette and the family that runs the paper, the Willinghams, reflect both the importance of local newspapers and the risk that journalists face when reporting the truth.
While the paper previously held a strong relationship with the sheriff’s office as it reported on local crime and the accomplishments of the officers, the relationship between the two took a turn for the worse once the paper undertook the task of writing critical stories about the office, such as one about a disorganized evidence room that could lead to contaminated evidence.
Tensions rose further as reports of inappropriate sexual relationships between a supervisor and subordinate, poorly investigated cases, police brutality and racism came to light.
Not only did the sheriff department not cooperate with the paper, but they retaliated against Chris Willingham, a member of the Willingham family and a reporter for the McCurtain Gazette. A public official tried to discredit Chris publicly by wrongly accusing him of crimes he had no evidence being involved in. Public backlash eventually became so widespread that Chris felt unsafe and moved his family to Tulsa, Oklahoma.
More threats against the family were discovered when Bruce Willingham, Chris’ father and main operator of the McCurtain Gazette, left behind a small pen that was capable of recording and storing 15 hours of audio after a public meeting. Bruce did this in an attempt to see if officials would continue to discuss county matters after public meetings concluded and the public had left.
Instead, what was recorded was multiple individuals, including Sherriff Kevin Clardy and County Commissioner Mark Jennings, seemingly plotting ways to kill Chris and other employees of the McCurtain Gazette. They discussed hiring a hitman before concluding that they would be suspected if anything happened to the Willinghams.
While Jennings later resigned after Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt called for both he and Clardy to resign, Clardy remained in his position for the remainder of his term. It wasn’t until Clardy lost the subsequent primary race to be the Republican nominee for sheriff that he finally left his position.
Despite the documentary clearly coming from the perspective of the Willingham family, director Ben Klein does a good job of showcasing people from the other side of the story, who do not believe what was reported in the McCurtain Gazette and support Clardy. Clardy declined to participate in the documentary’s making because of ongoing lawsuits.
While more voices from Clardy’s camp could have contributed more perspectives, the inclusion of more names would have likely made the documentary abnormally confusing to follow, especially considering how many individuals are already introduced within the documentary’s approximate 90-minute run time.
Even after Clardy left the sheriff’s office, there are still lasting consequences for the Willingham family. Chris remains in Tulsa with his wife and kids, away from his parents. He is no longer able to work for the McCurtain Gazette. Though he occasionally visits his parents in Idabel, he does not feel comfortable going out in public because of the lasting perception created by the false accusation.
Though the outcome for the Willingham family is an extreme case and not the norm, it demonstrates the risk that a journalist takes every day. Reporting on sensitive topics is a difficult task, especially in small towns where everyone knows each other. There can be personal consequences for doing your job in a professional manner.
Still, the story of the McCurtain Gazette highlights the importance of independent journalism. In the case of the McCurtain Gazette, which Chris Willingham said does not make a profit and operates as a passion project, the paper exists solely to spread information. The need for independent journalism is especially apparent in small towns where corruption may otherwise go unchecked and unreported.
Review: 4.25/5