BP Now owns the Airspace Above the Spill, too - Bars Journalist from Flying Over It

[Donnachaidh]

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/05/bp-now-owns-airspace-above-spill-too.php

Stories about BP contractors working hand in glove with the Coast Guard and local police to prevent full coverage of the effects of the oil spill have been coming out for some time now--and don't seem to be going away. Newsweek reports that everyone from traditional and independent journalists and photojournalists to Jean-Michel Cousteau have been denied access--they've even go so far to establish no-fly zones.

Here's the latest (and to me one of the most infuriating examples):

The latest instance of denied press access comes from Belle Chasse, La.-based Southern Seaplane Inc., which was scheduled to take a New Orleans Times-Picayune photographer for a flyover on Tuesday afternoon, and says it was denied permission once BP officials learned that a member of the press would be on board.

"We are not at liberty to fly media, journalists, photographers, or scientists," the company said in a letter it sent on Tuesday to Sen. David Vitter (R-La.). "We strongly feel that the reason for this massive is that BP wants to control their exposure to the press."

You can justify limiting access on the ground over legitimate safety concerns, too many people causing interference with cleanup efforts, etc.; and the article does quote a photographer saying that the Coast Guard at times has been very helpful--indeed, if only indirectly I can second that; if it weren't for Coast Guard photos TreeHugger would be coming up short on imagery of the cleanup.


MORE at the link above --