Since the beginning of the BP Gulf Oil Disaster, the press has had very limited access. This has caused an uproar in the media.
From the San Francisco Gate:
Under threat of a federal felony, National Incident Commander Thad Allen HAS BANNED ALL MEDIA ACCESS to boom operation sites and clean up sites. Allen’s orders effectively bans all media – print, television, radio and Internet bloggers from talking to to any clean-up worker or to even come close to take pictures or videos of booms, clean-up workers, oil soaked birds, dead dolphins, dead marine life, burned and dead endangered sea turtles.
Allen has issued a blanket order that bans anyone from getting close to any spill clean up site, boom site, areas where there are clean up workers or any other oil disaster related area or persons effectively shutting down the first amendment rights of the media.
In the following video,titled “Obama admin bans press from filming BP oil spill areas in the Gulf,” CNN’s Anderson Cooper discusses the media restrictions:
I’m sure some will turn to blaming BP for the restrictions, somehow and I don’t quite get how, but if that’s so, then why did the Democrats block an amendment that would have ensured press access to the disaster area:
Democrats refused to allow a vote today on an amendment introduced today by Rep. Paul Broun, R-Ga., to ensure press access to the gulf oil spill. Broun’s amendment was a response to numerous reports that government authorities and BP are keeping the press away from areas affected by the spill. The amendment reads as follows:
Except in cases of imminent harm to human life, federal officials shall allow free and open access to the media of oil spill clean up activity occurring on public lands or public shorelines, including the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
The amendment was introduced during committee markup of the CLEAR Act, a cap and trade bill being championed by Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., and Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine.
“The media has a responsibility to not only accurately report the news but to keep everyone associated with the spill accountable. President Obama promised transparency, but we have seen numerous examples where that is not the case,” said Rep. Broun in a statement. “There is no excuse for reporters and photographers to be denied access to public places unless their life is in imminent danger. This amendment is necessary in order to eliminate any confusion and ensure that First Amendment rights truly are protected.”
When there are military secrets that can damage the war effort, it’s the media’s right to print them. The Democrats were all about the belief that sunshine is the greatest disinfectant. However, when the sun is shining on them, they reach for the sunscreen.
I remember talking with my brother a few years ago after he graduated from the University of Missouri’s School of Journalism. I told him that I didn’t get into journalism following my enlistement because I felt reporters tended to feed on the misery of others. I didn’t want to be the reporter shoving a mic in some person’s face asking them how they felt about the tornado demolishing their house and killing their family.
He explained that the media served a purpose and its purpose was recording the events of history, however terrible they are.
He was right, and now that purpose is being limited. Let the press do their work.
