Washington Monthly’s Kevin Drum has a good roundup of the Bush administrations attempt to quash reporting of the situation out of New Orleans. Apparently, if you’re being criticized for something, it’s better to hide from people than actually, say, improve what you’re doing (or explain why you aren’t screwing up, for that matter).
For all the faux comparisons to totalitarianism, this is the most real and frightening step. Between the government propaganda (see the link in my micro blog to the right), and this type of stuff, we’re becoming all the things we said were bad about the USSR and is bad about China and numerous little banana republics around the world. The reporters are providing a vital check. On this story, the TV reporters on the scene have filled their role most admirably, being agents of change and improvement. Think about it… the situation at the Superdome and the convention center all were identified and described first by the media. They didn’t spin, didn’t try to present both sides, they said loudly and honestly, “People are dying, please come help!”
The government is wrong in this instance and should back down from this policy.
September 8th, 2005 at 12:03 pm
the reporters need to be reporting in nwe orleans we the people of the united states want to know whats goin on .
and the government is wrong!!!!!! they handled thingslike some third world country would shame
September 8th, 2005 at 3:03 pm
They should have no right to ban our reporters. Everyone is tired of having the government hide things from us. We want to know what’s going on. It’s getting to a point where it’s an embarassment to admit being a U.S. Citizen. The government can take care of everyone in ever other country but can’t take care of its own. It’s a shame, embarassment and disgrace. I can imagine how other countries are looking at us.