US agency apologizes for news conference on fires

[Lone_Star_Dem]

Source: Reuters

WASHINGTON, Oct 26 (Reuters) - The U.S. government's main disaster-response agency apologized on Friday for having its employees pose as reporters in a hastily called news conference on California's wildfires that no news organizations attended.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency, still struggling to restore its image after the bungled handling of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, issued the apology after The Washington Post published details of the Tuesday briefing.

"We can and must do better, and apologize for this error in judgment," FEMA deputy administrator Harvey Johnson, who conducted the briefing, said in a statement. "Our intent was to provide useful information and be responsive to the many questions we have received."

No actual reporter attended the news conference in person, agency spokesman Aaron Walker said.

Read more: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N26366100.htm

[deutsey]

1. Fortunately, this kind of manufactured news is rare

:eyes:

[ChairmanAgnostic]

6. LOL, damn that's a knee slapper!

ahhhh tis a Brave New World in which we live.

[deutsey]

10. Why, whatever do you mean?

I believe in our free and independent Fourth Estate and am grateful for how they help to keep our elected officials honest and serving the public good.







:rofl: Ok, ok...I'm sorry, but I couldn't keep a straight face after spouting that load of horseshit.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

13. No, your comment was fair and balanced.

No, I better not. I will join you on the floor, if I did.

[Botany]

23. Just like good old Katie Couric on 60 minutes

:rofl:

10 second blip @ the end ..... ah look @ our web site for the real story.

[MNDemNY]

27. They mean "uncooked"...no, that can't be right either.

[Mojambo]

2. At least they are timely with their apologies... n/t

[Va Lefty]

3. They are very sorry that they got caught

[Up2Late]

18. Exactly.

This whole thing has left me speechless.

[wordpix]

51. yes and getting caught is a terrible "error in judgment"---shoulda been sneakier

[Botany]

4. AKA We are sorry we got caught.

Many, many, many people had to be in on that stunt.
No doubt it went all the way to the top.

[nancyr]

5. I am deeply shocked.

[man4allcats]

11. Shades of Casablanca

Claude Rains as Captain Renault: "I'm shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on in here!"

[Botany]

22. .... and if you are not on that plane .....

http://www.smh.com.au/ffximage/2006/04/08/casablanca9406_wideweb__470x385,0.jpg

[0rganism]

7. Wow, they aren't even trying anymore

With Johnjeff Guckertgannon and orgs like Fox News, at least they pretend to have some kind of journalistic credentials. This, this is just... pathetic. Error in judgment? Noooo, this goes way beyond an error in judgment.

[FloridaJudy]

19. An "error in judgment"

Is leading with a high club. This clearly governmental malfeasance.

[Lisa]

24. is that what the kids today call it? (I remember the "mistakes were made" days!)

Really am showing my age, aren't I.

[aquart]

8. No actual news organization was used in the making of this press conference.

We have to make them put disclaimers on these things.

[lil d]

9. Disgusting

Here we go again.

[UpInArms]

14. Welcome to DU, lil d!

glad to have you here!

:hi:

[FloridaJudy]

20. Welcome to DU. n/t

[Xipe Totec]

12. Is the apology on the back of somebody's resignation letter?

If not, send it back and ask them to write it again.

[denverbill]

15. It's more likely typed on the back of their bonus check. n/t

[gratuitous]

16. If you want to provide useful information, issue a press release

Going through the news conference charade wasn't an "error in judgment," it was an outright attempt to deceive. That is to say, a LIE. Yeah, someone ought to be losing his job over this: His first name begins with an H-A-R-V-E, and his last name is a synonym for the male organ.

[robinlynne]

50. Harve Penis?

[lunatica]

17. They're latest press release is that they're...

Reviewing their press release practices!

:silly:

[DCKit]

21. How F@$ng stupid are these people? And how stupid do they think we are?

They thought that even the MSM wouldn't out them on this one when no legitimate reporter was involved?????

Heck'uv a job Brownie!

[MasonJar]

25. Purposefully duplicitous! Why not announce a news conference

in time for actual reporters to get there? They are just sorry that they are caught.

[Hekate]

26. No actual reporters were harmed in the faking of this news conference.

I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

Hekate

[hisownpetard]

37. !!!!!!!

[whistle]

28. FEMA has chosen to be totally impotent and obstructionist in disasters

[datadiva]

29. What, you mean they weren't real reporters?

I never would have guessed from the excellent questions they were asking. :rofl: :evilgrin:

[SlowDownFast]

30. Read: "We're sorry we got caught." n/t

[Grandrose]

31. Bush/Cheney administration should apologize..on principle!

White House press conferences are only one step above this fiasco!
With the exception of Helen Thomas, who I might add is a gem!:)

[WindRavenX]

32. can things get any worse?

Seriously, this is unfuckingbelievable.

[cureautismnow]

33. They should have used Armstrong Williams as one of the "reporters"

That sure would have fooled them. :sarcasm:

[Megahurtz]

34. Hahahahaha!

[Seabiscuit]

47. The whole world is watching - and laughing - at us!

[NYC]

35. All the world's a stage.

Recommended.

[hisownpetard]

36. Incredible. Our country has turned into one long SNL skit. Lorne Michaels for President, anyone?

[sabra]

38. US disaster agency apologizes for fake 'reporters'

Source: Reuters

WASHINGTON, Oct 26 (Reuters) - The main U.S. disaster-response agency apologized on Friday for having its employees pose as reporters in a news briefing on California's wildfires that no journalists attended.

...

"We can and must do better, and apologize for this error in judgment," FEMA deputy administrator Harvey Johnson, who conducted the briefing, said in a statement. "Our intent was to provide useful information and be responsive to the many questions we have received."

No actual reporter attended the hastily called news conference in person, although some camera crews arrived late to film incidental shots, officials said.

A spokeswoman for Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, who has authority over FEMA, called the incident "inexcusable and offensive to the secretary."

...

The White House said: "It was just a bad way to handle it." The Bush administration has faced criticism previously over accusations it masked public relations efforts as journalism.

Read more: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N26619054.htm

[liberal N proud]

39. Did they actually think they could get away with it?

Oh wait, this is all under the bu$h regime, anything can happen and does.

The propaganda will continue until all believe the lies.

[angstlessk]

43. They DID get away with it...said..oops sorry ....NEXT!

[tinymontgomery]

40. What they really mean

is that their sorry they got caught, next time their get real fake reporters, like the guys and girls from fox/tweety and blitzer.

[Lint Head]

41. Hell. Fake reporters are everywhere.

The American people have not been told the truth for years. A 'sale job' is done to us on a daily basis about everything. You can only know the truth within yourself unless you let yourself succumb to the pressure of the propaganda. I refuse to give up my freedom of thought. :dem:

[zeemike]

42. Bull shit...their intent was to deceive. n/t

[BadGimp]

44. will they fire anyone?

ha ha

I love this line:
The White House said: "It was just a bad way to handle it."

[Occulus]

45. But the damage is DONE

You can't unring the bell for the people who saw the "newscast". They already saw and accepted or denied the answers to the "questions" that were "asked".

This needs far more than an apology- one or more heads need to roll.

[krkaufman]

46. If not illegal, I can't believe that their actions didn't break some governmental rules.

One or more heads need to roll.

[truthisfreedom]

48. "We can and must do better" at fooling most of the people most of the time.

They're only upset because their ploy failed.

[Vinca]

49. And people wonder why you can't believe a word out of the mouths

of anyone associated with the Bush regime. If they tell you it's a sunny day, you better take your raincoat.