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Due to popular rage at the ban on reporters and photographers from within 65 feet of the oil spill, Coast Guard admiral Thad Allen has rescinded the ban.
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Due to popular rage at the ban on reporters and photographers from
within 65 feet of the oil spill, Coast Guard admiral Thad Allen has
rescinded the ban.
Specifically, Allen announced
tonight that the media will have full access, as long as they do not
interfere with safety or security:
National
Incident Commander Admiral Thad Allen today announced new procedures to
allow media free travel within the 20-meter boom safety zones if they
have followed simple procedures for credentialing, and provided they
follow certain rules and guidelines.
"I have put out a direction
that the press are to have clear, unfettered access to this event, with
two exceptions -- if there is a safety or security concern," said
Allen. “This boom is critical to the defense of the marshes and the
beaches.”
"We need to discriminate between media, which have a
reason to be there and somebody who's hanging around when we know that
we've had equipment vital to this region damaged," Allen said.
Previously,
media were required to contact local authorities each time they wished
to access booming operations. The 20-meter safety zone was created to
prevent boats from going over the top of booms; it is not intended to
limit media access.
This step will further expand media access to
frontlines of the BP oil spill response, and ensure that media
representatives have the access they need to report this historic
response-while maintaining the effectiveness of more than 560 miles of
protective boom currently deployed to protect sensitive shorelines
along the Gulf Coast.
A credential will be issued for media
representatives to carry and display as needed for the duration of the
response. Media representatives can obtain credentials by providing
their name, media affiliation, and contact information to the Unified
Area Command Joint Information Center at UACNOLAJIC@gmail.com.
The
credential outlines safety and security guidelines for media
access-including adherence to all federal, state and local navigation
rules and regulations, and other common-sense guidelines designed to
protect boom while keeping everyone safe.
"We have provided
unprecedented media access to the largest oil spill response in US
history. We want the media and the public to see the tremendous unity
of effort of 40,000 federal, state and local responders. We have
provided hundreds of embarks on CG vessels and aircraft and we are
offering overnight visits on a 210-foot Cutter forty miles offshore at
the well site. We believe that by providing the media credentials for
vessels, we will increase the ability of the media and the public to
see the response effort," said Captain Jim McPherson, USCG spokesman.
Reporters who are denied access to any part of the response can call
the UAC JIC at (713) 323-1670 for immediate assistance.
Congratulations
to photographers like Julie
Dermansky, who have tirelessly documented what's really going on.
Congratulations
to Anderson
Cooper, who showed that a mainstream reporter can demand access.
Congratulations
to the First Amendment.
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In the many videos managing to emanate from the de facto media/news blackout imposed by state and federal authorities in the Southern Gulf States at the behest of the foreign multinational corporation British Controleum, what is apparent among many other disturbing anomalies, is the press ganging of local residents into the distasteful and disgusting task of "cleaning up" the infernal, toxic, and caliginous goo accumulating on the Gulf coastline. This unfortunate cadre, including the legions of disenfranchised shrimpers and fishermen, but singularly comprising an overwhelming percentage of Negro (yes, Negro) workers many of whom we can witness plying the unenviable tasks of their dismal servitude on youtube, is undoubtedly being exposed to one of the most toxic and potentially lethal cocktails of chemicals and organic compounds ever unleashed upon mankind outside of Bhopal, India. Along with their porcine multi-jowled white cracker overseers managing teams of banty- rooster BP goonsquads, this degrading spectacle of free born American citizens once again submitting to the yoke of John Bull with the actionable complicity and collusion of our elected officials and the military forces sworn to protect our nation, after what can only be construed as obvious and far reaching hostilities and unparalleled depredations against our sovereign nation followed by a full scale invasion and the sequestering of and looming evacuation of the local populations, presents one of the most surreal, grotesque, and nightmarish episodes in US history. Welcome to the NWO coup d'etat in America and get ready for much, much worse.
Jindal should have called the Nat'l Guard, and forced the CG to stand down.
BP, nor the CG should have the POWER to stop anyone from taking pictures, or watching OUTSIDE the 65' Zone.
Good post George, well done!
What the BP Disaster Really Means For America
http://rense.com/general91/bos.htm
George,
Thank you for the continuous updates.
I am very anxious over what the next 48 hours will bring:
BP placed a 40-foot (12-meter) stack of valves atop the well yesterday and will use it to halt the oil flow for as long as 48 hours to measure pressure inside the well, Doug Suttles, chief operating officer for exploration and production, told reporters yesterday on a conference call.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-07-12/bp-may-stop-flow-of-oil-from-gu...
My oil experience is as follows...I was going to buy an old farm house in upstate NY quite a few years ago. I was going through the property with an inspector/engineer and we discussed the buried/abandoned oil tank in the front yard. This could be a nightmare and I asked how can we have the tank tested and would he do it. He said he would not. He said that testing the tank (to check for leaks) would involve pressurizing the tank to see if it held air. If it didn't maintain pressure, you could be sure it had leaked or was leaking. Alternatively, the 40+ year old tank might not be leaking, but pressurizing it could cause a blow out, cause a leak and he would be responsible.
So, it is with bated breath that I await the results of BP's pressure tests.
But wait, does this mean I can come out of my shelter and unload my gun now? I have to admit it was getting a little lonely down there and I felt kind of dumb when I noticed (through my periscope) that everyone else was out enjoying the summer sun. No, better to be safe than sorry, I think I'll stay down here for another few weeks because this is probably just a trick to get me to pop my head out of this hole.
Before there was an official ban/restriction on media coverage there was an unofficial ban on media coverage even though the Unified Command denied there was a ban/restriction on media. We shall see how this rescindment of the official media ban plays out.
This report from one month ago, more than two weeks before the official media ban/restriction went into effect:
WDSU June 14 Media access blocked
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQj2bk0cY9I&feature=player_embedded
The back-story to all of this is that the next few days could well see significant developments in the containment of the leak and with that the media will deem the crisis over and move on to the next big story, perhaps the President enjoying a lobster roll in Kennebunkport ME aahh.. I mean Mt Desert Island.
The media ban/restriction (official and unofficial) throughout most of this crisis has acheived the intended effect, the public was kept in the dark and there is minimal video record of what was really going on.
This announcement by Thad Allen is a cynical and meaningless offering consistent with the dynamics of a cover-up that will compliment the official narrative of this crisis.
George, in this case I think you have taken the bait and swallowed it hook, line and sinker.
I work in the media and while I haven't been directly impacted by the ban and outright harassment by BP employees, contractors, and government officials both local and Federal, I have co-workers who have.
They've been told they can't come on certain beaches. They've been granted access to other beaches using "alternate access routes" -- meaning that as long as they're willing to lug their 100 plus pounds of TV equipment along a sandy 1-mile trail in the Alabama summer sun, they can come on the beach, which is less than 50 yards away. Like others, they've also been "advised" to put away their cameras under certain circumstances.
Unfortunately, I didn't hear an outcry over this issue from anyone other than the reporters and photographers. The editors and publishers of our TV stations and newspapers, as well as the executives, remained quiet.
I'll be interested to hear from my co-workers how the credentialing process goes.
So many average Joes cry foul when this or that reporter doesn't cover this or that story. The reporter has little to no input over what is covered. And even if they did, they still need to get it on the air or in the newspaper. The editor(s) have the control. Which is why you stated..........
"The editors and publishers of our TV stations and newspapers, as well as the executives, remained quiet."
This is where media control takes place. Self censorship, which is mostly how it works. Or by a few strategically placed phone calls, which don't need to come from government but instead from a few powerful advertisers (meaning corporation) who spend money to advertise on the TV/newspaper.
Forget looking for direct connections because you will rarely find them. The MSM, corporations, political office, think tanks, academia at the administrator level, talking heads and pundits, military and police it's all a revolving door. Everyone understands what they need to do to keep themselves in power.
No need to make many late night phone calls when all the key cogs know how the world works and wish to keep it that way.
Interesting. As someone whose Tin Foil (gold Plated) hat is mostly on, I see so many levels in this.
Okay, let us see how much heavy handedness these people are ready for. No access at 65 feet. Outcry. Okay okay.
Got a Controlled media Badge? Go ahead, we'll censor your stuff anyways.
Nothing changes and TPTB gets a little temperature check of the "outraged" sheeple.
Such drama.
ORI
http://aadivaahan.wordpress.com
The sad thing is, is that the Army needs to step in for the constitutional rights of the civilians.
One step closer to martial law?
Oath of enlistment. May they never forget the oath they took and the order of priorities outlined within that oath. Constitution first, President and officers second.
So declared and formal media is fine, but not anyone they can't control? Hardly a good measure.
Now what got tucked away when they had that 65' restriction?
I expect to see Anderson Cooper dumped out of a boat when they get in too close and get whacked with something or entangled. That would be worse than the Aussie who got speared by that ray and died.
Now, can we see all the AIG emails?
Wonderful victory for freedom! Shameful that it was ever an issue!!!
Sweet! I'm bought some puts on BP's ass and I'd like a payoff. I'll donate 10% to charity if they finish in the money!
What a dangerous and very slippery slope. Soon, ordinary proles will demand to enter a park without being fingerprinted.
http://www.10news.com/news/24202545/detail.html
Proles will want to take an exam and chew gum!
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/06/education/06cheat.html?_r=2
They will want to drive through an intersection and not be photographed by a red light camera!
Where does it end? I only hope the yoke is placed back firmly and quickly before someone questions the value of a federal reserve note.
It's stories like that which make me appreciate my Scandinavian citizenship.
One down. Thirteen trillion to go.
Congratulations America. Your rights have been given back to you...
One right was given back. Just one.
And only because they now feel confident that the worst of the spill will be contained at the well head now that they have a new cap in place and additional capacity on the surface to handle up to 60,000 bls of oil coming from various kill/coke lines on the first BOP and the various values from the new cap.
It became expedient to return to us what they took in the first place. Back to the illusion that we have rights.
Aren't we the optimist? 1 out of 10 is usually a failing grade.
I wouldn't say that even that one has been restored until the Cop who turned over the reporters' personal information to BP is fired, sued and stripped of his pension.