All the News that’s fit to invent

“I think it was one of the dumbest and most inappropriate things I've seen since I've been in government,” --Michael Chertoff, Homeland Security Secretary





It’s no secret that government agencies prefer it when they can manage the news, the ability to “guide a reporter onto the message"is a gift that can make or break any public affairs manager.

But when you want to get your message out and don’t have the time to assemble those wicked wretches of the media whatever can you do?

Well, if you’re FEMA, you create a reporters pool, made up of inside staffers posing as reporters anxious to get to the bottom of the issues.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency, the wonderful group that brought America the federal response to Hurricane Katrina two years ago, has added to their legacy, with as Secretary Chertoff said one of the dumbest and most inappropriate things seen in government...

Last week they created a press conference to brief the public on the federal response to the California wildfires, with apparently little time to round up the usual suspects of press, they instead loaded the room with inside staffers posing as reporters to ask the “tough” questions of the day of Vice Admiral (retired) Harvey E. Johnson, the Deputy Administrator and Chief Operating Officer.

Questions that didn’t exactly hold anyone’s feet to the fire shall we say.

Instead they were considered soft and designed to fluff up the folks at FEMA as hands on and involved. They even managed to keep a straight face when the deputy director asked for just “one last question”.

Though considering the administration friendliness of Fox News. We suggest for them this possible blaring type headline graphic that all these news channels seem to thrive on now, FAUX NEWS, FROM FOX NEWS!

Normally the Fake News stuff is left to the likes of your Jon Stewarts, Rick Mercers and the gang at Air Farce, but now it seems that creating the news is to be a government department.

During the worst of the Katrina debacle, George Bush once said of the then (and very soon to be former) director Michael Brown, "that you’re doing a heck of a job Brownie"…

No word on whether Harvey got the same salute, but judging by Chertoff's response it's doubtful that he'll be getting a congratualtory phone call anytime soon!

To tweak a phrase made famous by McLuhan, "the manipulation is the message."