Throwing the press out of New Orleans

[icarus]

According to Reuters the press is being thrown out of New Orleans

Call the White House, 202-456-1111, and let them know that there is still freedom of the press -- there is no national security issue in this disaster -- there should be nothing to hide when the goal is to seek the truth about what happened.

I'm staggered, so furious I've been pacing for the last half hour.

wildernessguru says: "That's illegal."

Comments

Re: If you buy this "spin" you're a fool

[maelwaedd.livejournal.com]

I realise that both sides are playing games. I'm not entirely stupid.

By all means, take as many pictures of corpses as possible. Report the numbers--that I can respect and it's something that I think would really make a difference. But pictures of dead people, while they would be great for some form of inquest, aren't news. They're commissions, and I shan't respect that.

I know their job, I know what they're doing. But I also know that the most sensationalist journalists--and, if this disaster is anything like most of the others, the journalist who takes the most risks--is going to get the most money or at least the headlines. Be it through photos of dead bodies or otherwise.

Again, I'm not in the US, where I assume you to be. All I know of what is on your television is what I get told, and if people are ranting about dead bodies on tv then I assume there to be dead bodies on tv. I am more than capable of checking out US-sourced news articles, and while no, I haven't seen dead bodies to my knowledge so far, I haven't honestly looked at a great deal of Katrina photos to know if there are any/many. I do recall photos of Sadaam's dead sons previously, though, which therefore leads me to believe that there is at least one source that has no problem in publishing photos of dead bodies. Whether this policy changes when its own citizens are involved, I don't know, because I'm not American.

To my knowledge, in my country if the press are in the way, they are removed. We haven't had this much wank concerning anything like FEMA before, but maybe it will become an issue for us in the future--I don't know. I'm not defending FEMA at all, and agree that there should be a serious enquiry.

I still maintain, however, that if I can take up room on a container/breakbulk vessel, then a reporter can take up room on a rescue boat.

Re: If you buy this "spin" you're a fool

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

sensationalist journalists

You're mistaking US journalists for some other country's, possibly the British. You don't have that kind of sensationalism here. There are a lot murders in the city where I grew up, Detroit MI. We had the largest number of murders in the US. I have never once seen a dead body on TV. Ever.

You're uninformed, basing your response on foreign journalists.

if people are ranting about dead bodies on tv then I assume there to be dead bodies on tv.

Nope. I haven't seen any and I've been following the story closely. As I said, this is an invented issue for the sake of spin control.

That's part of how it works. Yell fire and people think there's a fire.

I do recall photos of Sadaam's dead sons previously, though, which therefore leads me to believe that there is at least one source that has no problem in publishing photos of dead bodies.

I've been following the war closely and I've not seen those either.

in my country if the press are in the way, they are removed.

Here it is against the law.

I'm not defending FEMA at all, and agree that there should be a serious enquiry.

I agree. By the way, you should know that FEMA was dismantled by Bush and incorporated under "Homeland Security" in the recent terrorist paranoia. That's why all the fuck-ups. The rescue professionals of just a few years ago are all gone and FEMA's mandate was to "gain control" rather than help people.

still maintain, however, that if I can take up room on a container/breakbulk vessel, then a reporter can take up room on a rescue boat.

The room they take is worthwhile. By keeping the rescue effort in the public eye, money continues to pour in to help those very rescue efforts. It's an investment.

Icarus