Gloria Neal, Amani Ali and Big Brother

Channel 4's Gloria Neal started out her 5:30 a.m. segment this morning talking about the terrorism raid on the Aurora apartment of DIA shuttle driver Najibbullah Zazi -- but along the way, things got personal. In discussing the question of whether Zazi could ever be accepted by his neighbors again...

By Michael Roberts

September 17, 2009

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Channel 4's Gloria Neal started out her 5:30 a.m. segment this morning talking about the terrorism raid on the Aurora apartment of DIA shuttle driver Najibbullah Zazi -- but along the way, things got personal. In discussing the question of whether Zazi could ever be accepted by his neighbors again even if no charges against him are filed, she noted that she and her husband, Amani Ali, a KOA staffer and president of the Colorado Association of Black Journalists, had been contacted by a producer who'd stumbled upon Ali's moniker during a search using the sprawling Nexis system. The caller asked about their neighbors, under the assumption, presumably, that Ali's name alone might strike terror in their hearts.

Neal was clearly unsettled by this line of inquiry, not to mention the ease with which the producer had tracked down her husband. According to her, Big Brother's not only watching, but having dinner with you. Hope there's not a microphone in the creamed corn.

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Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

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