SALEM, Ore.) - A federal agency with a tarnished reputation over their response to Hurricane Katrina went theatrical last week, as it turns out. FEMA and the Bush Administration have both admitted that the press Tuesday over the Southern California wildfires was packed with FEMA employees posing as reporters.
Reporters from the Washington Post were given 15 minutes notice before the press conference began, Bloomberg was given 20 minutes. None of them made it, not a single reporter in fact. The "press conference" was held in FEMA's Washington DC headquarters. The agency has now admitted that the six questions asked by reporters were actually posed by FEMA's impostors.
The Associated Press said the questions asked of FEMA Deputy Director Vice Admiral Harvey E. Johnson by FEMA employees pretending to be reporters, “were predictably soft and gratuitous.”
But they made the agency look good. "Are you happy with FEMA's response so far?" one of the fake reporters asked.
Vice Adm. Harvey E. Johnson Jr. responded, "I am very happy with FEMA's response so far."
Followthemedia.com says using fake reporters isn’t new to the Bush administration, which continues to hold most media in contempt. They reference a 2005 a political operative who was ‘outted’ after asking President George W. Bush simple and easy questions while posing as a White House reporter.
The news conference was a feather in the cap for about three days, then that apparent success came to a screeching halt on Friday when FEMA admitted that the simple questions were asked by FEMA employees posing as reporters.
Good Cop Bad Cop
After the cat emerged from the bag Friday, the White House naturally tried to distance itself from the implications.
In spite of the administration's history of doing the exact same thing, Press Secretary Dana Perino made the statement, "It is not a practice that we would employ here at the White House." Three times Perino referred to FEMA's theatrics as an "error in judgment," saying she is sure it won't happen again.
Then the Homeland Security Department took a different approach and lambasted FEMA for such a deceitful act. Spokeswoman Laura Keehner told reporters, "This is inexcusable and offensive, and stunts like this will not be tolerated or repeated."
If nothing else, the debacle is a clear indication that when it comes to communications and essential standards of conduct, these federal agencies are out of touch with one another, though they work for the same exact team. Or perhaps it was just the planned reaction, taking heat off one agency by having a similar one perform the lashing.
In a statement Friday, Harvey Johnson said FEMA's goal is to get information out as soon as possible, "and in trying to do so we made an error in judgment."
"Our intent was to provide useful information and be responsive to the many questions we have received. We are reviewing our press procedures and will make the changes necessary to ensure that all of our communications are straightforward and transparent."
It has only been two years since FEMA's highly criticized response to the victims of Hurricane Katrina. The world has been waiting for this agency to have another chance to demonstrate that it can perform its duties. This "error in judgment" will do little to boost faith in a federal response agency that people count on in times of disaster.
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