UNL grad in the thick of terrorist trials
By Kristin L. Ewing
J Alumni News staff
Concrete Jersey barriers lining roadways and blocking building entrances have rapidly become a symbol of increased security in the United States. Nowhere has that been more obvious than in Alexandria, Va.
The City of Alexandria, a busy but relatively quiet suburb of Washington, D.C., became a media and security hotspot when the federal government chose Alexandria as the site for the trials of John Walker Lindh and Zacharias Moussaoui, both accused of terrorist acts in connection with the 9/11 attacks. At the center of all the media frenzy is University of Nebraska-Lincoln 1978 graduate Barbara Lutz-Gordon, a public information officer for the City of Alexandria.
These days, Gordon said, "Local news in Alexandria is national news."
The trials attracted thousands of journalists to the city, and the city had to figure out how to meet the media's needs as they covered these high-profile proceedings. The fact that the U.S. Courthouse doesn't have a pressroom complicated matters a lot, Gordon said.
Gordon was responsible for solving the problem and establishing a media center. After examining both the needs of the media and those of the residents near the U.S. Courthouse, she recommended that the media center be placed on a 1.2-acre green space in front of the courthouse, an area nearby residents had been using to walk their dogs.
"We met several times with the residents. They told us what they wanted to do and what they were concerned about. Their voices and needs were heard," said Gordon.
Creating the media center required putting up fences, blocking off parking spaces for TV trucks, bringing in portable office trailers and temporary bathrooms, complete with the reworked sewers those required, as well as constructing a briefing area where reporters could listen to and interview officials. The whole process became almost a "nightmare squared," Gordon said.
The media center hasn't been the only thing keeping Gordon busy since she left UNL. Shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, Gordon went into crisis communication mode. Immediately she began to think about which federal buildings in the city might be targets. She also thought about what in Alexandria was a symbol of the United States.
"We had the same fears as all the other cities across the nation, but being only five miles from the Pentagon strengthened that fear," she said.
Gordon had to recently face Alexandria residents' fears before alleged snipers John Allen Muhammad and John Lee Malvo were caught. Every day Gordon participated in a conference call with the other local county governments to learn what was being done to protect the citizens as well as updates on the investigation. Now the chances are good that more trials will be held in Alexandria, which will give Gordon yet another chance to deal with national media.
The sniper attacks affected not only Gordon's work but also her personal life. "My son Brandon's senior homecoming game and dance were cancelled," she said, "Eventually, they rescheduled the events, but our lifestyle was becoming different. Although Alexandria was not hit by the snipers, we were always worried that we would be next."
Gordon is thankful for the way UNL prepared her for her future. "The news-ed sequence has been very beneficial. Its courses and professors there have stressed writing so much, which is good because writing is a basic skill you need to have. I had very dedicated professors who really cared about the students, which made all the difference."
