Re: FEMA disaster for free speech
Nick Arnett wrote: http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=2924 and more Comes now further word on the subject: http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/3425616.html?showAll=y FEMA OKs media access to residents “We’re responding to your criticism,” James Stark, director of FEMA’s Louisiana Transitional Recovery Office told editors and staff members of The Advocate during a telephone conference between FEMA representatives and the newspaper. But also: Reporters and photographers will have to produce “valid media credentials” before they are allowed to enter the trailer parks, he said. Dave Uns deine Papiere zeigen Maru ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: FEMA disaster for free speech
--- In [EMAIL PROTECTED], Dave Land [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Reporters and photographers will have to produce valid media credentials before they are allowed to enter the trailer parks, he said. Dave Uns deine Papiere zeigen Maru I don't know the specifics of this situation, but it is worth pointing out that one needs valid media credentials before taking photographs in some Indian Reservations as well. Part of the logic for this is to allow the Native Americans to live somewhat normal lives, without the feeling of being tourist attractions or living in a fishbowl. Just saying that there *may* be a valid reason for this. JDG ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: FEMA disaster for free speech
Nick Arnett wrote: I've read about this before, but it still just astonishes me that Katrina survivors have lost civil rights as a result. They end up living in a community where they are not free to talk to the press unless there is a FEMA representative present. They can't have a landline telephone or cable television. No decorations outside. Our government has done better and can do better, much better. What's really awful about this, to me, is that it works against accountability. Intimidate the people and the media so that the story isn't told. It's not going to work in the long run, but in the short run it is a disaster on top of a disaster. http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=2924 When we consistently vote for a police state in this country, why should we be surprised when one rises up in our midst? --JWR ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: FEMA disaster for free speech
Folks, FAIR reports on FEMA's response to FAIR's earlier piece (brought to our attention by Nick) here: http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=2926 FEMA officer James Stark denies that FEMA policies prevent members of the media from contacting residents, and goes on to say that FEMA has a responsibility to protect their privacy. It sounds to me like the Advocate reporter ran into some over-zealous guards. I found the quotes from the guards in the first piece unconvincing as evidence that there is such a policy in place. The guards simply sounded like guards: Hey, you're not supposed to be here. There may not be an anti-media policy in place, but there does seem to be a serious lack of coordination and communication of whatever policies there may be. The FAIR report also says: It seems difficult to square Stark's claim about FEMA's policy with the statement by FEMA spokesperson Rachel Rodi quoted in the Advocate: If a resident invites the media to the trailer, they have to be escorted by a FEMA representative who sits in on the interviewThat's just a policy. How likely is it that a FEMA spokesperson is misinformed about FEMA's policies on FEMA spokespersons? About 7, on a scale of 1-10, I think. Dave ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
FEMA disaster for free speech
I've read about this before, but it still just astonishes me that Katrina survivors have lost civil rights as a result. They end up living in a community where they are not free to talk to the press unless there is a FEMA representative present. They can't have a landline telephone or cable television. No decorations outside. Our government has done better and can do better, much better. What's really awful about this, to me, is that it works against accountability. Intimidate the people and the media so that the story isn't told. It's not going to work in the long run, but in the short run it is a disaster on top of a disaster. http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=2924 Nick -- Nick Arnett [EMAIL PROTECTED] Messages: 408-904-7198 ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: FEMA disaster for free speech
At 06:09 PM Monday 7/24/2006, Nick Arnett wrote: I've read about this before, but it still just astonishes me that Katrina survivors have lost civil rights as a result. They end up living in a community where they are not free to talk to the press unless there is a FEMA representative present. I agree with you that that does not sound right. They can't have a landline telephone or cable television. My guess is that these restrictions may be because of the expenses involved (initial installation charges + monthly fees can both be expensive, as well as the fact that there does not seem to be any way to keep people from running up a large long distance bill calling their friends and relatives who ended up evacuated to another state frex: giving each family/household a pre-paid cell phone with a certain number of minutes on it would probably be considered a better use of the money from an agency already embarrassed by giving debit cards to people who used them to pay for, among other things, ahem, so-called adult entertainment services . . . No decorations outside. It's likely that the problem here is that if they allow small, safe decorations some people will print up a little sign on 8.5×11 paper to stick on the door while others would cover their trailers with Christmas lights even though it's July (Pioneer Day in Utah is not generally considered a reason for outside lights), perhaps lights they salvaged from their homes which were already ten or twenty years old before the box containing them got soaked in Katrina, running up a huge electric bill and possibly causing a fire or other hazard, so the only level of decorations they were sure they could fairly enforce was zero Our government has done better and can do better, much better. What's really awful about this, to me, is that it works against accountability. Intimidate the people and the media so that the story isn't told. It's not going to work in the long run, but in the short run it is a disaster on top of a disaster. http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=2924 FWIW, I didn't see any reference to phones, cable TV, or decorations in the article at that URL. Did I miss something? --Ronn! :) I always knew that I would see the first man on the Moon. I never dreamed that I would see the last. --Dr. Jerry Pournelle ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
