This is a true victory for our democracy, as the government has decided it will not fight the law suit filed by CNN to allow access to coverage of body searches.
And, as testament to the sensitivity of FEMA and those engaged in recovery in New Orleans as to public perception of their operation, even General Honore is trying to explain what he really meant by the initial media ban in the first place.
Joint Task Force Katrina “has no plans to bar, impede or prevent news media from their news gathering and reporting activities in connection with the deceased Hurricane Katrina victim recovery efforts,” said Col. Christian E. deGraff, representing the task force.
U.S. District Court Judge Keith Ellison issued a temporary restraining order Friday against a “zero access” policy announced earlier in the day by Army Lt. Gen. Russel Honore, who is overseeing the federal relief effort in the city, and Terry Ebbert, the city’s homeland security director.
In explaining the ban, Ebbert said, “we don’t think that’s proper” to let members of the media view the bodies.
Army Lt. Col. Richard Steele, a member of Honore’s staff, told CNN Saturday night that Honore was partly misunderstood. Steele said Honore meant that no media would be allowed to be imbedded with teams recovering bodies. However, recovery groups would not prevent reporters from doing their jobs, he added.
CNN News Group President Jim Walton crowed for their victory, “We are pleased by the decision. The free flow of information is vital for a free society.”
Would that you would apply the same standards to coverage of the war in Iraq, Jim, and allow our democracy to view the full extent of our capability for destruction.
