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UPDATED: FEMA media blackout?

Posted by Evan Derkacz at 7:47 AM on September 7, 2005.


You get the feeling that the bulk of FEMA's shocking ineptitude and callousness has yet to see the light of day. And they know it.
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UPDATE: See Media Blackout II.

A picture is starting to emerge... but don't quote me. This is 1-2-3 speculatory mumbo jumbo, not crack investigative journalism, but...

So first, as reported by Jefferson Parish President Aaron Broussard, the NOLA communications lines were cut by FEMA without explanation or warning. He was forced to post guards to ensure that it wouldn't happen again (does anyone doubt that those guards could've been useful elsewhere?).

Then you have an internal FEMA/Homeland Security memo that, in addition to requesting extra personnel to be casually deployed -- within 48 hours or so and then some more in a week or so... -- also specified that one of the tasks for those personnel would be information management: "Convey a positive image of disaster operations to government officials, community organizations and the general public." (Note: all on its own this directive is probably fine. It could be argued that a hopeful outlook is helpful. It's when it's combined with massive negligence and the other pieces in this puzzle that you begin to think that this should've been the main job description...)

And then you have the final piece: The LA Times is reporting that: "The U.S. agency leading Hurricane Katrina rescue efforts said Tuesday that it does not want the news media to photograph the dead as they are recovered."

Can you say Iraq War?

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Evan Derkacz is a New York-based writer and contributor to AlterNet.


Return to The Mix  » Post Tools: email EMAIL print PRINT 13 COMMENTS PERMALINK
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Comments Turn comments off sitewide Give us feedback »
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The comments for this story have been closed. Thank you to everyone who participated. 		View:
Are relief workers taking photos?
[Report this comment]
Posted by: bettsoff on Sep 7, 2005 6:49 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
The MSM may not have the balls to take pictures, but I certainly hope the relief workers do. In 1977, Johnstown PA suffered its third major flood, and my mother volunteered with the Red Cross. As a kid, I got to see firsthand what it was like b/c she took a ton of pictures and had slides made. Hopefully there will be a ton of amateur pictures taken and the truth will not be hidden.

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Wait'll you hear this
[Report this comment]
Posted by: trampoline on Sep 7, 2005 7:11 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
I saw astonishing up-close images of dead bodies (along with a detailed play-by-play of their decomposition) on OPRAH of all things yesterday.

I think FEMA's credibility is shot, and I also think that the surge of adrenaline Anderson Cooper felt after telling prominent politicians to shove it is a contagious. There are lot of shove-its going around. I don't think they can stop'em.

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The War on Weather/Oprah
[Report this comment]
Posted by: JohnnyM on Sep 7, 2005 7:26 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
That might be the next Dubya war, like the other two expensive & unnecessary wars their engaged in now (Iraq & Drugs). Or is it three (terrorists)? Or four (The war on the poor?). Or five.. They're losing ALL of them anyways...

On anothe level, I am appalled at Oprah and other so-called stars/public figures using this tragedy for PR.

Listen to me John Travolta, Oprah, et al - If your heart is really in this support, then don't tell me about it, just do it, quietly...shhhhh. Go in disguise...or just send money...

When you do use it for PR, as you both are doing, F-OFF!!. You're acting like the devil would (or is that IS, hey Georgy?). Anybody who watches you two, or Tom "the other alien," is insane! Piss off!

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» RE: The War on Weather/Oprah Posted by: JohnnyM
FEMA is playing it low-key
[Report this comment]
Posted by: SpinDentist on Sep 7, 2005 7:30 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
On my visit to a school being used to house evacuees here in Philadelphia, I spotted a FEMA guy, and I asked my escort about their involvement. My escort clammed up, and when I talked to the suit he was VERY short in his answers.

http://www.allspinzone.com/blog/index.php?itemid=1283

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mnascimento
[Report this comment]
Posted by: mnascimento on Sep 7, 2005 11:19 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
My son has remained in New Orleans all this time. I have spoken to him daily, because his cell phone has my north carolina area code, rather than the 504 of New Orleans.
He is in his dry home among his worldly possessions, as are the neighbors on his street. he has a truck and has been able to ferry in supplies for them all.
It has taken him, intent on survival, a long time to understand that New Orleans, if not dead, is in a coma, and life as he knew it, will never come again.
He is preparing to leave with whatever will fit in his smal S-10 truck. He knows that is more than most people salvaged, and is thankful to God.
There is room for him, in my Fayetteville NC home. I can accomadate whomever he may bring with him. But I know it is temporary. My son is one of those individuals who are in love with the city.

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disturbing...
[Report this comment]
Posted by: magistre on Sep 7, 2005 5:21 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
If you combine what was done here(above story) with the well-publicized story of "evacuees" being stopped by police from leaving and combine it with the quote from "W": "fu** 'em,they all voted Democrat,anyway!" and you began to wonder if the Bushzi plot was to have MORE not LESS causualties come out of this?!??

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» RE: disturbing... Posted by: yogendra2
Death toll shell game
[Report this comment]
Posted by: bookwoman on Sep 8, 2005 12:22 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
So, we are going to get the New Orleans version of the death toll shell game. Evidently this Administration still thinks it can hide the truth from the citizens of this country by not showing the bodies of the victims being moved to a decent place. As for giving them dignity, it seems to me that allowing them to float face down in filthy water for a week kind of belies any claims of giving these poor people dignity now that they have been recovered.

Obviously they think the majority of the people in this country have as little imagination as some of the major members of the Administration itself.

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FEMA: Bush's slush fund
[Report this comment]
Posted by: B.J. on Sep 9, 2005 7:58 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Bush took $1 mil out of the FEMA budget to pay for his personal bodyguard service when he first came into office in 2000. When questioned about this, Bush said FEMA money had been "wasted in the past". Funny part is that the first need for FEMA money back then was when Houston, TX flooded. That's how the Representative of TX learned the money had been taken from FEMA.

My belief is that Katrina has blown the lid off of Bush-Cheney corruption. Will the GOP allow Bush to skirt investigation this time?

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