The US Federal Emergency Management Agency, strongly criticized over its abysmal performance during and after hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans, tried to pull a fast one on the media last week. FEMA had a hastily-organized, informed reporters a mere 15 minutes before the appointed time and made employees pose as reporters. In the media briefing, a FEMA official boasted that the agency performed better in the California wildfire disaster than during Katrina.

FEMA has apologized, after reporters found out about the fakery and slammed the deception. Read the Washington Post story here. Read more about it here, here and here.

It hasn’t happened here in the Philippines, as far as I know, and I feel sorry for the reporters and the other journalists in the US who were victimized by the FEMA. Twas a crude and stupid attempt to manipulate the media and, consequently, the public. For an agency that has low credibility, FEMA has definitely gotten to a new low.