FEMA stages fake press conference - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

Canada 02 · 10-27-2007, 03:23 PM

The agency — much maligned for its sluggish response to Hurricane Katrina over two years ago — arranged to have FEMA employees play the part of reporters at the event Tuesday and question Vice Adm. Harvey E. Johnson, the deputy director.

The questions were soft and gratuitous.

“I'm very happy with FEMA's response,” Mr. Johnson said in reply to one query from an agency employee.

FEMA gave reporters only 15 minutes notice about Tuesday's news conference. But because of the short notice, the agency made available an 800 number so reporters could call in. Many did, although it was a listen-only arrangement.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servl...rnational/home

Flames in 07 · 10-27-2007, 03:42 PM

I just read about this, it's unbelievable to think about how poor someone's judgment must be to put this idea together.

Displaced Flames fan · 10-27-2007, 04:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flames in 07

I just read about this, it's unbelievable to think about how poor someone's judgment must be to put this idea together.

Agreed, poor judgement and it shows that they are way too concerned about what the public perceives...so overly concerned that they did this trying to improve that perception without realizing what this act looks like.

As long as the answers were accurate it's no harm no foul in my eyes, but if you want to get information out to the people it's probably a better idea to suggest those questions to actual reporters.

CrusaderPi · 10-27-2007, 05:49 PM

This plan was brilliant. It almost seems impossible that it could fail.

Sparks · 10-27-2007, 06:22 PM

Quote:

“I have made unambiguously clear, in Anglo-Saxon prose...

Anyone know what that's supposed to mean? He made it unambiguously clear in Old English?

Displaced Flames fan · 10-27-2007, 07:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sparks

Anyone know what that's supposed to mean? He made it unambiguously clear in Old English?

Aren't unambiguous and clear the same thing as well?

RougeUnderoos · 10-27-2007, 08:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Displaced Flames fan

Agreed, poor judgement and it shows that they are way too concerned about what the public perceives...so overly concerned that they did this trying to improve that perception without realizing what this act looks like.

As long as the answers were accurate it's no harm no foul in my eyes, but if you want to get information out to the people it's probably a better idea to suggest those questions to actual reporters.

No harm no foul?

I think there is both harm and foul. It's a government agency blatantly (and comically) lying to the people. That's a foul for sure.

Displaced Flames fan · 10-27-2007, 08:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RougeUnderoos

No harm no foul?

I think there is both harm and foul. It's a government agency blatantly (and comically) lying to the people. That's a foul for sure.

Lying?

How so?

Kidder · 10-27-2007, 08:57 PM

Quote:
Originally Posted by Sparks

Anyone know what that's supposed to mean? He made it unambiguously clear in Old English?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Displaced Flames fan

Aren't unambiguous and clear the same thing as well?

Redundancy is thy oxen in ye prose of Anglo-Saxon

RougeUnderoos · 10-27-2007, 09:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Displaced Flames fan

Lying?

How so?

They faked a news conference. Isn't that a lie?

Flames in 07 · 10-27-2007, 09:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RougeUnderoos

No harm no foul?

I think there is both harm and foul. It's a government agency blatantly (and comically) lying to the people. That's a foul for sure.

Well I don't know if there was any lying, but it is the actions of someone or a group of people of high school level compentance. Many people need to be fired or moved to the mailroom.

Displaced Flames fan · 10-27-2007, 09:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RougeUnderoos

They faked a news conference. Isn't that a lie?

It wasn't a fake news conference. They had FEMA employees posed as reporters asking questions.

Stupid, makes them look bad absolutely. But unless they answered questions with dishonest answers I don't think it's anything more than very poor judgement.

RougeUnderoos · 10-27-2007, 10:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Displaced Flames fan

They had FEMA employees posed as reporters asking questions.

Yeah -- they posed the FEMA employees as reporters, but the FEMA employees are not reporters, so they were not telling the truth. They were lying.

Displaced Flames fan · 10-27-2007, 10:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RougeUnderoos

Yeah -- they posed the FEMA employees as reporters, but the FEMA employees are not reporters, so they were not telling the truth. They were lying.

So actors are lying in movies when they play characters who aren't themselves?

Come on.

Yeah, it was a dumb thing to do, but a press conference isn't some holy government proceeding. If they were giving out false information with their fake reporters asking real questions, then yeah...I agree. Otherwise, it's just stupid and nothing more.

CrusaderPi · 10-27-2007, 10:49 PM

It almost seems like a press release issued over an improper medium.

Still, it just seems seedy and someone is going to lose a job over it.

Displaced Flames fan · 10-27-2007, 10:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CrusaderPi

It almost seems like a press release issued over an improper medium.

Still, it just seems seedy and someone is going to lose a job over it.

Excellent description!

Someone SHOULD lose their job.

RougeUnderoos · 10-28-2007, 12:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Displaced Flames fan

So actors are lying in movies when they play characters who aren't themselves?

Did credits roll at the end of the press conference?

CrusaderPi · 10-28-2007, 12:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RougeUnderoos

Did credits roll at the end of the press conference?

Playing the part of New Reporter #3 ..... Office Drone #658695142A

HOZ · 10-28-2007, 07:24 AM

A real head shaker there. Why FAKE a Q&A seccession to get relevant info out to the public? Why not make a press release.

Unbelievable.

Trying to decide if this stunt beats out the Quebec police infiltration of protesters to stur up trouble.

getbak · 10-28-2007, 02:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Displaced Flames fan

So actors are lying in movies when they play characters who aren't themselves?

Come on.

Yeah, it was a dumb thing to do, but a press conference isn't some holy government proceeding. If they were giving out false information with their fake reporters asking real questions, then yeah...I agree. Otherwise, it's just stupid and nothing more.

If the movie is being sold as a documentary and it turns out that many scenes were scripted and/or the participants were told what to say, yes, it is a lie. More than a few documentaries have come under fire for containing too much scripted content. Virtually every Michael Moore movie is criticized for this.

The problem with having a staged press conference is that they know exactly what questions will be asked, and exactly what carefully rehearsed answers to give. They know there won't be any questions that they are unprepared for, and there won't be any "tough" follow-up questions. To the person watching the conference at home, they'll think that everything went really well and assume that all the tough questions were asked and answered quite well.

Staging the contents of a press release into the format of the press conference is dishonest. The contents may be the same, but the context is entirely different. If you come out and say "I am now going to make a brief statement and I will not be taking any questions after the statement" people are going to have a very different reaction than if you make the same statement but do so in the context that you are in front of a free and open press gallery, answering the press's tough questions.