FEMA fakes press conference (can you believe this?)
Cory Bergman October 26th, 2007
This is stunning. On Tuesday, FEMA gave reporters a 15-minute notice that it was throwing a press conference about its response to the California fires. How it improved since Katrina. Because of the late notice, reporters called in to a conference pool, but there were also people in the audience who asked questions to the man at the podium, Deputy Administrator Harvey Johnson. Questions like, “Are you happy with FEMA’s response so far?” Turns out, the people in the audience were FEMA’s own public affairs personnel!
After getting ripped online for the stunt — even the White House had some choice words — FEMA apologized today, asking reporters not to focus on this massive breach of trust but on all the good work it’s doing in Southern California. So I have a question. Why should we believe anything you say now? (Thanks, Tim!)
10 Comments Add your own
1. fleetwood mack | October 26th, 2007 at 7:58 pm
Can you believe this?
Isn’t the question why are you surprised?
2. invitedmedia | October 26th, 2007 at 8:06 pm
this sounds like a plan hatched BY the wh.
and when it leaked they gladly threw their own under the bus.
3. Davis Freeberg | October 26th, 2007 at 8:52 pm
They almost made it out of the fires looking like heroes, but go and blow it by not being transparent. They had to know that people would find out about this. If these PR rookies worked for a corporation I would be angry, but it’s hard to be upset when this is really par for government jobs.
4. Safran | October 26th, 2007 at 9:19 pm
Heckuva job, FEMA.
5. Doug | October 27th, 2007 at 5:21 am
The first bright idea was giving 15 minutes notice about the press conference. That right there shows a critical lack of understanding. The rest is just gravy.
One report said the real reporters on the conf call could not ask questions.
6. Brink | October 27th, 2007 at 7:44 am
I suspect the 15-minute notice was intended to KEEP real reporters out so it could be a staged lovefest.
7. Steve | October 27th, 2007 at 9:39 am
What, they couldn’t truck in Jeff Gannon to ask some softball questions?
8. wherethegoodgo | October 27th, 2007 at 11:04 am
What an example of the type of manipulation that is all too common place within the US.
9. Rosenblum | October 27th, 2007 at 12:16 pm
They pretend to be reporters? So what else is new.
They also pretend to be competent.
10. BizarroWorld | October 29th, 2007 at 2:29 pm
The bush white house is disingenuous in their indignation. Evidently FEMA took a page out of the bush white house–they staged every press conference bush ever participated in. If “real” reporters were there, it probably would not have made a difference–hard hitting reporters who ask the difficult questions are a thing of the past and our democracy has suffered for it.
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