A new turn for the top ten

The annual release of the Civil War Preservation Trust's top 10 list of most endangered battlefields is followed by a predictable media pattern. CWPT's press conference is held, the release issued, and then waves of supportive stories appear nationally, most pieces tying in to local sites on the CWPT list.

This year something new has disturbed the pattern: it's the "why did my site drop off the list?" article. I haven't noticed these before.

The story comes in a benign form:

Northeast Mississippi sites may not be on the recently released list of the nation's 10 most endangered Civil War battlefields, but they are no less at risk.

And it also comes in a critical form:

Despite the delisting, [Wilson's Creek] supporters said the battlefield remained threatened."We're very happy we were able to acquire the piece of land," said April McDonough, the foundation's executive director. "But that doesn't mean the battlefield is no longer in danger." She said the housing project is proceeding, and more development is possible in the area.