FAKE FEMA

This blog entry by Shelly Wood.

The story: "FEMA Meets the Press, Which Happens to Be . . . FEMA"

The analysis:

It is fairly well know that FEMA has a bad reputation because of their lack of efficiency during the Hurricane Katrina disaster. This past week’s fires in Southern California offered FEMA a chance to redeem themselves to the information hungry public. According to this article, FEMA had their reputation in mind when deputy administrator, Harvey E. Johnson, released their first press conference. They alerted reporters fifteen minutes prior to the briefing. This was not enough time for reporters to be present, so they had FEMA staff members act as reporters. The various Media outlets could obtain the briefing through a listen only 800 number. The real reporters were never given a chance to ask questions. The only questions answered came from within the organization. When this staging became known, Johnson claimed that they used the questions that reporters would have asked. It just seemed odd that legit reporters would steer the questions in a direction that allowed FEMA to portray themselves as efficient.

Hurricane Katrina made a mockery of FEMA. Their lack of efficiency was public discussion. This week’s fires were the first major natural disaster since the hurricane. FEMA deemed importance in looking good in the eyes of the public. Thus they staged their first press release to prevent uncomfortable questions that might make them look incompetent. Mass media has a reputation for releasing misleading information to benefit controlling political institutions. Yet this time, the various media outlets were not on their side. If FEMA really wanted to fool people, they should have done a better job of covering up their agenda. It was fairly obvious that the situation was staged, and the Media loved its opportunity to make FEMA look inadequate again. It follows the public’s expectations of FEMA.

Rather than discuss what FEMA has actually done to help in this disastrous situation, all current coverage pertains to this press conference incident. It makes for more interesting news than the relief they are actually providing. FEMA did this to themselves, yet they are also helping the media with more a more interesting story. The public is fairly uninterested in the assistance that has been provided. The staged news brief is what the public takes away from the incident. Furthermore, it lives up to the publics expectations, or lack there of, of FEMA.