CNN Forces White House to Back Down on Press Clamps in New Orleans

"Rather than fight a lawsuit by CNN, the federal government abandoned its effort Saturday to prevent the media from reporting on the recovery of the dead in New Orleans...." reports CNN this morning.

"U.S. District Court Judge Keith Ellison issued a temporary restraining order Friday against a 'zero access' policy announced earlier in the day by Army Lt. Gen. Russel Honore, who is overseeing the federal relief effort in the city, and Terry Ebbert, the city's homeland security director....The judge was to consider granting a permanent injunction Saturday when the government announced its decision not to fight CNN's lawsuit."

Yesterday's temporary restraining order was the first time a major news organization had successfully challenged the Bush Administration's clamp-down on press freedoms to cover specific stories. Today, Judge Ellison was to consider granting a permanent injunction in favor of CNN.

A hallmark of the Bush Administration has been its intransparency, and even secrecy, in all activities and plans. The Bush White House has frequently stonewalled or ignored information requests, including Freedom of Information Act requests, and has carefully controlled media access to both the President and current events. (For instance,reporters are prohibited from photographing deceased Iraq soldiers, or their coffins.)

That is, until Hurricane Katrina. Most of the mainstream media, including both CNN and the New York Times, have been openly critical of the Bush Administration's handling of the post-Hurricane Katrina disater and of Katrina survivors.

In line with past Bush policies, Homeland Security this past week announced a "zero tolerance" policy for press photographs of "deceased Hurricane Katrina victim recovery efforts."

CNN filed in federal court to obtain a restraining order against FEMA and the Homeland Security Department, charging that its First Amendment rights were violated because the prohibition restricted "its ability to fully and fairly cover" the hurricane victim recovery process.

I say three cheers for CNN and its legal department! They were unintimidated by the tremendous and ongoing pressure exerted on the press by this White House, and took a courageous stand for the freedom of the press to pursue and report the truth.

Thank God. The fourth estate is essential to a healthy democracy, and frequently has been absent during the first five years of the Bush presidency. Maybe...just maybe.....this is the start of the press demanding greater accountability of the Bush White House.
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