Reporters Say Exxon Is Impeding Spill Coverage in Arkansas.

[elleng]

Last edited Sat Apr 6, 2013, 07:36 PM - Edit history (1)

Reporters covering the oil spill from ExxonMobil's Pegasus pipeline in Mayflower, Arkansas, are reporting that they've been blocked from the site and threatened with arrest.

On Friday morning, Inside Climate News reported that an Exxon spokesperson told reporter Lisa Song that she could be "arrested for criminal trespass" when she went to the command center to try to find representatives from the EPA and the Department of Transportation. On Friday afternoon, I spoke to the news director from the local NPR affiliate who said he, too, had been threatened with arrest while trying to cover the spill.

Michael Hibblen, who reports for the radio station KUAR, went to the spill site on Wednesday with state Attorney General Dustin McDaniel. McDaniel was in the area to inspect the site and hold a news conference, and Hibblen and a small group of reporters were following him to report on the visit. Upon arrival, representatives from the county sheriff's office, which is running security at the site, directed the reporters to a boundary point 10 feet away that they should not pass. The reporters agreed to comply. But the tone shifted abruptly, Hibblen told Mother Jones on Friday:

http://www.motherjones.com/blue-marble/2013/04/reporters-say-exxon-impeding-spill-coverage-arkansas

MORE: Town on Lockdown: http://grist.org/climate-energy/arkansas-town-in-lockdown-after-oil-spill-nightmare/

[Enrique]

1. talking to government officials is trespassing?

does that mean the government officials are property of Exxon?

[Stuart G]

2. I wouldn't doubt it.........nt

[paleotn]

7. That's an affirm....

... it's times like this when we see who really runs the country.

[7wo7rees]

12. Exxon > Govt > Press > People

We lose - to the third power.

[malaise]

3. The media remind me of ReTHUGs

they have a different view when they are affected. Otherwise they defend the corporations.
Slowly they will wake up

[Stuart G]

4. Who is giving these directions/ and orders from the sheriff's office.??

Will the media go after that too..?

[wordpix]

8. my guess is orders are from the gov, who's bought by Exxon no doubt

just guessin'

[Octafish]

5. Just who do they think they are?! It's an outrage!!!

Everyone knows Exxon has authority to grant or deny visas to whoever it wants by right of ownership of Washington DC.

The cheek of these "journalists."

Next thing they'll want to see is the administration's To-Kill List.

[Curmudgeoness]

6. If I were the reporters who are denied access

to the site or the officials, that would be my lead story. And I would hammer that story every day.

Then, when Exxon decided that it wanted to have a "news conference" or a "press release" to get their side of the story out.....there would be crickets. Exxon will want the press when they decide to put their lies out there. Ignore them.

[wordpix]

9. agree - call up the neighbors and ask THEM what's going on

[TheKentuckian]

17. The corporate partner of Exxon would veto and/or term you

The reporters don't have that kind of flow control.

The lead story is what the masters say it will be and if you don't cover what they want covered someone else will and they get the lead. Media control is in precious few hands and those hands are not independent of those who control about everything else. The board rooms are pretty incestuous, and cut across sectors.

[Curmudgeoness]

18. Unfortunately, you speak the truth.

I suppose that we would not hear about this if it were not for Mother Earth and a few other independent journalists who have the ability to do it. But every once in a while, I get surprised by the MSM.

[DeSwiss]

10. What?!

I've been told by avionic-vidoegrapher experts that those danged reporters are plenty close enough, thank you very much. You mean to say that 1001 feet away isn't close enough to see all that's going on!?!?! Have they never heard of telescopic lenses? Are there no more long-distance microphones?

- And what about Exxon's corporate rights?!?! Don't they have a right to privacy in other people's yards and streets and stuff!?!?!

K&R

[DallasNE]

11. Reading Between The Lines

I would say that it was the Attorney General that gave the order to the Sheriff's staff to threaten arrest of reporters not retreating to the specified area. Why is the unanswered question. They may need to drain about 10-12 feet of water out of Lake Conway so they can dredge the shoreline to remove the oil soaked soil since this oil is heavier than water and thus sinks as well as stinks.

[flying rabbit]

13. Water is denser than oil

In my experience it always winds up on top.

[RobertEarl]

14. This is not crude oil

My understanding is that it is a tar like substance when raw. A bitumen.

It is mixed with water and other compounds to make it liquid so it can flow through a pipe.

The term for water and oil mixing is: emulsified. Now that is is constituted with water it will mix easily with more water. And go wherever water can go.

It is among the worst for pollution possibilities.

[flying rabbit]

15. Ah, my bad. nt

[DallasNE]

16. Oil Sands Are Different

The oil sand is heavier than water and will sink but because it has to be mixed with hydrocarbons in order for it to flow through pipelines the hydrocarbons will float while the heavier oil sand will sink. Apparently some part is the same weight as water so it is just suspended in the water. Here is a link on an earlier spill and the special problems of cleanup. http://democrats.naturalresources.house.gov/reports/tax-free-tar-sands