Too Good to Be True

The harsh response of the White House to the faux press conference by FEMA was very warranted and appropriate. A sensitive situation such as a natural disaster is far too important to be played down by a fake press conference. Preparing newsmakers for interviews is not a practice that a government agency should engage in frequently. Not allowing re journalists to ask pertinent questions raises suspicion among members on society and doesn't engender trust. PR reps posing as journalists leads to incorrect, faulty news being reported incorrectly. PR reps should work with the media to protect and promote their clients rather than try to pose as them. This situation exhibits a direct ethical violation in reporting accurate and truthful news. The fact that FEMA failed to contact enough journalists to attend is an example of their inattention to details the public found important. Their lack of common sense in this situation created a nasty PR crisis that implicates more parties than just FEMA themselves.