Police to embed reporters with officers at Miami trade conference

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

http://www.bradenton.com/mld/bradenton/7228289.htm

MIAMI - Police preparing for large and potentially violent protests during trade talks here next week are borrowing a tactic from the Pentagon: They are offering to "embed" reporters in police squads.

Reporters have long been known to do ride-alongs with police or accompany them on busts. Police Chief John Timoney said his embedding plan would take journalists a step further, by placing them on the front lines of a protest expected to draw tens of thousands of people.

<snip>

"Journalists are supposed to be independent gatherers of information," said Robert Jensen, associated professor of journalism law and ethics at the University of Texas at Austin. Embedding "is going to put journalists in the police view of the world. "

He added: "At least in a war theater you can make the arguments that there is no other way for journalists to have access to the battlefield. I don't think that analogy holds on the streets of Miami."

The journalists will be responsible for their own safety and will be required to have a riot helmet and gas mask. Journalists are also required to sign a release form as well as agree not to report on such things as the number of officers in a unit or how many units are participating in an event.

<snip>

Oh boy. Are we going to have embedded reporters in the RNC next?
Nevermind. That's old news.

[Don_G]

1. Might Not Be A Bad Idea

As long as the reporters have free access to where they want to go and no outside control of what is reported.

[DUreader]

6. Thats what they said about Iraq, guess what? terrible idea sanitized repor

reporting....

Propaganda

[lostnfound]

2. How pitiful! With riot gear & gas masks? What Democracy Looks Like

Just in case the masses of business-oriented reporters don't have enough prejudices walking in, we can also give them the fear-the-mob approach of police.

Wonder if the police will be making this same offer to the Indymedia?..hmm, that could yield useful video.

[Say_What]

3. Must be gonna get real ugly--journalists should be independent

From the article: "Journalists are supposed to be independent gatherers of information," said Robert Jensen, associated professor of journalism law and ethics at the University of Texas at Austin. Embedding "is going to put journalists in the police view of the world. "

---

Also, $8.5 million from the $87 bln Iraq bill is going to Miami for *security*. That was reported on Democracy Now over the weekend and here's a couple of articles about it.

http://ftaaimc.org/en/2003/11/280.shtml

[54anickel]

4. This is insane

Police want to be prepared for the kind of violence that broke out during the World Trade Organization talks in Seattle in 1999. Those riots cost the city about $3 million and resulted in 500 arrests and accusations that police overreacted.

From what I have read of the 1999 Seattle protest, the police DID over react. Granted, there are a lot more people catching on and the outrage against global corporate greed has deepened. I think there will be huge crowds of people as the grassroot rebellion spreads.
But, Aren't we still a DEMOCRACY! I hope the press has the freedom to report ALL that goes on, with what we have been seeing from the media lately, I'm not holding my breath.

[DUreader]

7. Get rid of that hope, this is a plan to control the media

get ready for glossy production values and more empty reporting

[Scott Lee]

5. "Embedded" or "In Bed With"?

n/t

[Democat]

8. Why is it not surprising this Big Brother media imbedding is in Florida

The Bush family controls the U.S. media.

People should write letters and make calls to the media telling them what we think of them becoming part of the government when they are supposed to be independent.

[dArKeR]

9. Police to embed journalists at trade talks - TGM

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20031110.wembed1110/BNStory/International/