Left to their own, the news media will continue to show images just like this one with no thought of the damage they are causing. Sheriff Justin Smith knows better. We need to take his plan to the nation.
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Read about new press controls in Colorado
STATter911.com previous column on Sheriff Smith
Larimer County Sheriff Justin Smith is my hero. He’s really showing those nasty news people who’s in charge. This is the guy we need on the national scene to finally get the out of control news media under the control of the government where it belongs.
After the arrogant TV news directors of Denver turned down Sheriff Smith’s request (see our earlier column) and kept showing burning and burned out homes, the man who was elected to be in charge got even (can you believe those insensitive, so called journalists actually showed things burning on the news?). According to an article by AP reporter Dan Elliott posted on Firefighter Nation, the sheriff has now issued brand new restrictions on the press covering wildfires in Northern Colorado. I know what you are saying and I’m with you. Can we even really trust a reporter to tell us what the sheriff is doing?
But if reporter Elliott is accurate (doubtful, considering how those people are), as part of Sheriff Smith’s continuing concern that a homeowner may have his or her privacy violated by seeing their destroyed home in the news before being officially notified, the sheriff is refusing to allow reporters and camera crews into areas they’ve typically had access to at previous wildfires in the region.
America needs Sheriff Smith. Here’s a guy who would make sure that all images of property destroyed by terrorist attack or other intentional act, accident or natural disaster have been properly cleared before being shown to the public. We’ve needed someone like Justin Smith for a long, long time.
With Justin Smith at the helm we would be spared live TV coverage of terrorist attacks or other unfolding disasters.
If he was in charge almost eleven years ago we wouldn’t have had to see any of the images from the attacks of 9-11 live on our TV screens. Sheriff Smith would have made sure access to the area by the reporters and photographers was restricted, and no images were seen until all property owners were officially notified by law enforcement.
When the next earthquake hits Southern California, Smith is the guy who can make certain no crumbling structures are viewed until after all home and building owners have been contacted.
When a jet goes off course and takes down an apartment complex, as it did in Virginia Beach, Virginia earlier this year, Sheriff Smith will see to it that every apartment dweller has heard the news from one of his deputies before even one image hits the airwaves.
The next time a single family home of lightweight construction catches fire and spreads to three or four neighboring homes and melts the siding off four or five others, Sheriff Smith will have the backs of the public. There will be no live TV chopper pictures of the destruction until each homeowner gets the word.
Everyone who lived in these apartments would have been notified first hand before the first image hit the screen if Justin Smith had his way. That’s why need him as our nation’s editor-in-chief.
This arrogance by the press, especially TV news, has gone on far too long. At the Museum of Radio and Television in New York, you can see for yourself, as I have, that as far back as a 1961 wildfire in Topanga Canyon in Los Angeles County, that KTLA-TV was showing live helicopter video from its chopper of homes burning. I can assure you no one notified those homeowners before the images were televised. And that’s probably because Justin Smith wasn’t born yet to protect us from this outrageous violation of our privacy and our freedoms.
I know if I were one of those resident in the path of a wildfire I wouldn’t want to know instantly my house burned down via some heartless TV news person doing a live report. No matter how many hours or days it took, it would be much better to be in the dark without such information, until, as the country’s Founding Fathers had intended, the home’s next of kin were properly notified by an elected official.
That’s all changed now. There’s a new sheriff in town. I urge both men who want to occupy The White House come January 21, 2013 to please consider naming Justin Smith as the nation’s first editor-in-chief. It’s time for the President to make sure the news people understand that a free press really means that the people who were elected by the citizens are free to make the rules. A man like Sheriff Smith, whose department also warned of unauthorized Facebook pages about the Colorado fires, could also be the guy to get this whole social media thing under control, with all of these citizens with cameras posting anything they want, whenever they want.
Better yet, this new national post should be a cabinet position with a name that everyone can clearly understand. How about Minister … I mean, Secretary of Information? It has a nice ring to it.
Also on STATter911 …
- Those ghouls are at it again. TV stations turn down Colorado sheriff’s request not to show burned or burning homes. – June 12, 2012
- UPDATE: Lieutenant who said DC chief showed ‘lack of leadership’ demoted & suspended. Department says Robert Alvarado violated ‘Patient Care Bill of Rights’ during TV interview & also failed to wear compliant coat. – July 3, 2012
- Taking pictures of a fire can be hazardous to your health. Greek farmer wounds two men with cameras at wildfire. – July 31, 2012
- Detroit Fire Commissioner proposes letting vacant buildings 50% involved burn to the ground. Donald Austin asked to make cut in next year’s budget. – April 22, 2012
Comments
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You go Dave, get your rant on! Great rant.
I hope that Sheriff Smith hears from lawyer representing your former colleagues in short order.
OH NO!!! Does this mean the revolution WON’T be televised? Say it ain’t so Dave.
Gil Scott-Heron didn’t live long enough to see his words become reality Crowbar.
Statter
Dave – you are absolutely correct. Since we have Czars to control every aspect of American life – Banks, Borders, Climate, Economics, Energy, Health, Industry, etc. – we certainly should have an INFORMATION CZAR. How have we survived this long without one ? – - -
I think this guy really struck a nerve with Dave.
Who will protect us from disturbing blog posts about disturbing images??
Now Dave, you know he has to do this. The general public just can’t handle the truth. Just imagine the horror if Fox News Channel or MSNBC was to report the High Park fire.
Everything I know about this fire so far has come direct from the BBC.
Me thinks Sherriff Smith is waaaaay too impressed with his own personal awesomeness, and has entirely too much spare time on his hands.
Dave, when you have your teeth sunk into a topic like this, do you growl when strangers approach??
Maybe we can get Sherriff Barney and Administrator Extraordinaire LRB to join up and lead the revamp of Emergency Services and their relationship with the Evil Empire, oops, I mean the media.
If one of the spy-czars that are already in place get wind of this, you know damn well there will be an immediate press conference and this ___________ [ fill in the blank with your own favorite discription ] in charge [ if you can all it that ] he will have THAT done before breakfest. You all know that it isn’t a joke either!!! I’ll stop now. Don’t want to wreck a good, truthful, and right on point article. Thank-you Dave.
I could be very wrong, but it seems to me that there is an underlying anti-law enforcement/LEO feeling behind many of the law-enforcement centered articles that have been posted on Statter911 over the last 5 years, often in censorship articles, and just as often in others. Its likely there have been similar issues involving fire officials and PIO’s, and the news media itself. (of course, the news media can’t get themselves in trouble over what they decide not to film.)
I can’t even support a guy for higher office without be accused of being anti-something or other. Jeesh.
Statter
Wait. There’s an anti-law enforcement feeling in posts about when law enforcement officers, often inappropriately, go out of their way to suppress freedom of the press? Gee, I wonder why? Could it be because the LEOs are, in those cases, denying a fundamental and enumerated freedom often to the point of abusing their power if the citizen is luck, and using illegal force, if the citizen is unlucky?
How about the police start respecting the 1st Amendment, and then there wouldn’t be anybody complaining about censorship.
We had a discussion on this the others day at work. One of the guys that I work with agrees with the HIGH SHERIFF. He believes that it is insensitive as well. My question: does the sheriff really believe that the people of his county are so naive they may not think that there is a possibility that their houses may have been damaged or destroyed since they were evacuated? They were evacuated for a reason.
I’ve been wondering about that myself. Having spent some time in the mountain states, I know it seems rather likely that any evacuation location will likely be on the flatlands, which tend to present sometimes spectacular views of the mountains. If the average citizen is evacuated from their home on say, “East Mountain”, and they have a view from their evacuation center of East Mountain being charred from top to bottom, does it take hearing from a deputy for them to realize that things don’t look good at home??
I couldn’t agree more with you Marcus. Very valid point.
Go get em Dave! And maybe with Smith in charge, the people of Detroit will be spared the awfulness of their city leaders and that means that Cholly LeDuff will not be able to practice his brand of “Gotcha” news and will be the end of the liberal media conspiracy! Bwaaahahahahahahahahahaha!
Will Sheriff Smith also prevent us from being tortured with images of Roseanne Barr singing and grabbing her crotch, or is this only about disasters involving fires being reported and televised??
I hope he doesn’t stop there and takes out Roseanne too.
Ah Dave, you crack me up!
I’m all for his appointment, however; Will he implement an automated “press notification system” that will signal that all involved parties have been made aware, so that Statter911 will be able to auto-post held-back photos/videos, or would you rather have to manually go back and release each photo/video? He needs to make his stance on that known before we appoint him. That’s a lot of editing nationwide, and potentially wasted man-hours.
dave,
the issue isn’t shutting down the news b/c of a “we said so” power trip. to me, it’s a first responders protective instinct taking over from the direct appearance, attitude, and angle some reporters have taken in their methods these days. i feel like it’s no longer about truth and objectivity. i so often get the sense that reporters are profiteering off of other peoples losses, hardships, and vulnerabilities with no thought towards honest journalism let alone dignity for the dead/injured/bereaved. When I observe this pitiful behavior, it infuriates me to my core. Much like when a fireman gets convicted of arson. How dare you? Have you no shame, integrity, or values for what your profession stands for?
for some, not all, it’s not about getting an objective story and showing what is really going on in the world. it’s about getting the ratings with the the most graphic or high emotion clip purely for the shock value. and that, my friend, is not reporting.
Unfortunately, those that have acted this way have micturated upon the entire field and the true professionalism of others that still try to do the job honestly and right by the viewers. they have soiled it so badly that i can’t help but get a “used car salesman” sense when i’m around almost every reporter I meet. it’s to the point where i can’t even start with a neutral sense. i go in to it with the preconceived notion that this bimbo or half-wit poster boy isn’t really genuine in their love for finding the happenings of reality and sharing them with the world. Or, that they have one ounce of compassion, shame, dignity, or respect. It’s only about a few shock stories and then their next promotion to a bigger network. heck, look at that phrase in itself. used car salesman. where do you think it came from and why?
If reporters are genuine in wanting to tell a story, be it tragic, mundane, or joyous, to their viewers in an honest, genuine, and tasteful way, I’ve got no beef. Actually, I appreciate and greatly admire someone who can paint horrible pictures in such a way that covers all the bases of truth, humanity, dignity, and objectivity.
Bottom line, make one move, just one move, to where I feel like you (not you dave) are attempting to use your “press credentials” to take advantage of someone or of a situation for personal (or network) gain, and I’ll bounce your butt out to a 2 mile scene safety zone so fast it will make your head spin.
Ever listen to what the old heads like Rather and Cronkite think about today’s reporters? Or about what the interest/needs of the networks have done to the news? Tragic. ‘Print is dead’ might be in today’s obituary… but the craft of journalism has one foot in the grave and it’s death might just be in tomorrows blog.
I’ve seen many, many people on here complain about “new school” firefighters the same way you are complaining about how reporting has changed.
There’s a lot that isn’t what it used to be.
So what’s you solution to what you posed? Is it do like I advocated and make the sheriff editor-in-chief?
Statter
My 2 cents from Calif.
Check on Coloradostate Law and the only area I found (in a quick search) that applies to the media in a “Disaster Situation” is:
Colorado Revised Statute
“CRS” 18-9-105
“Disobedience of Public Safety Orders under ‘Riot Conditions’”
“A person commits a Class 3 Misdemeanor if during a Riot or when one is Impnding, when he knowlingy disobey’s a reasonable Public safety Order to move, disperse….
“No such order shall apply to a news reporter or other person observing or recording the events on behalf of the Public Press or ther news media unless he is physically obstructing
efforts by such forces to cope with the Riot or Impending Riot.
“Inapplicability of the order is an affirmative defense”.
Seems as though the Sheriff Smith needs to check on the CSR and re-think his opposition.
Unless their is something I missed that would allow him to Legally try and keep the media from doing its job..
Well, let’s see.
The Feds continuously violate states’ rights. (this has only been occurring for around 150 years)
SCOTUS had to remind DC and Chicago what the 2nd Amendment means. And there are still untold violations of the 2nd Amendment by gov’t officials.
The Patriot Act has eroded more and more of our liberties than just about anything else in recent times.
Congress and the Exec have violated who knows how many parts of the Constitution by enacting the NDAA.
We have an executive who is bypassing Congress. (He isn’t the first)
We have Congress abdicating its constitutional authority to the EPA, OSHA, etc.
We have people that can’t understand that freedom of religion does not freedom from religion.
I could go on and on, but the point is, this shouldn’t surprise anyone. The Constitution has been viewed as a _(&%#@(!&(^ piece of paper for many, many years. Why not throw out the rest of the Amendments as well? This moron in Colorado is just doing what the rest of the politicians around the country have been doing for many years.
No news here, keep moving along, sheeple.
Mark, your Freedom of Religion / Freedom From Religion is a false dichotomy.
Freedom of Religion is simply the Government saying that it will not interfere with whatever religion you wish to practice. Jefferson made it implicitly clear in his famous letter to The Danbury Baptists.
We do not live in a theocracy. If you want to live in a country where you must believe…Iran, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, etc. will welcome you with open arms.
I do not have to believe in a deity, and I don’t.
hahaha. good point. but what do you wanna do about it, right?
easy concept. not so easy in implementation. but my answer is achieving a value of servitude over self. we, as a culture, need to migrate away from the disease of me and back towards servitude. journalist, fireman, politician, banker, and CEO alike. not that self-preservation and betterment for our livelihoods and families aren’t important, but there is a fine line between the two and each has it’s time and place.
step 1. lead by example. be humble. avoid self-riotousness.
step 2. share, not force, this perspective with those taking the path of self over service.
step 3. hope you create small ripples of influence that carry forward a wave of change.
follow on-
can you further explain your thoughts on the comparison of younger firefighters today with the absence of a sense of servitude that i suggested is plaguing many other professions? do you really think young firefighters place themselves above others?
i know we are gung-ho, have a difficult time going along with ‘that’s the way we’ve always done it here, boy’, along with several other traits that young, enthusiastic, type a males display. but i’m not sure i can see where we have an absence in the sense of service to others before our self.
I really have no opinion on it but was relaying the opinions I see in the comments section in an attempt to make my point.
Statter
What? No opinion? It’s because of you that we’ve exposed this evil liberal media scheme to ruin the world! I guess we’ll have to make a call to a certain Fox reporter in the Detriot area…..
*tongue planted firmly in cheek*
Actually, I should have made myself more clear. I have plenty of opinions about this, but since my days as a firefighter are long ago I keep my thoughts on firefighting to myself.
But feel free to get Charlie fired up about it. It’s always fun to watch.
Statter
Nice rant Dave
Does Sherriff Barney have time to ensure that all the FFs are wearing the proper insignia on the T-shirts under their turnouts?
My 2 cents from California.
This is all I found that relates to the Media in a Disaster Area.
There may a different section that addresses fies, floods and so on.
Colorado Revised Statutes “CRS” 18-9-105.
“Disobedience of Public Safety Orders under Riot Conditions”
“A person commits a Class 3 Misdemeanor if during a Riot or when one is impending he knowingly disobeys a reasonable Public safety Order to move, disperse…..”
“No such order Shall Apply to a News Reporter or Other Person Observng or Recording the events on behalf of the Public Press or Other News media,, unless he is Physically Obstructing Efforts by such forces to cope with the Riot or Impending Riot”.
“Inapplicability of the Order is an Affirmative Defense”.
So, transferring the interpretation to the WUI/I-Zone Fire Coverage, Sheriff Justin Smith may definitely be in the Wrong Here.
Speaking as a guy who was almost arrested by a deputy sheriff while taking pictures at a fire because she “didnt think it was right” i’m behind you 100%. enforce the law and shut up sheriff…i’m still shooting fires!
I’m sensing sarcasm.